Outwitting Labyrinth
by TierneyMacDonald
Summary: Left alone for the evening to look after their young, mischievous cousins, sisters Alex and Adrian discover that words spoken out of annoyance can have unexpected consequences. Rated T for occasional language.
1. Hour Zero

Hour 0

"Would you mind watching Zach and Ben while I run to the store?" Mom asked. She looked exhausted; there were dark bags under her brown eyes, which were filled with a very justifiable expression of hopelessness and resignation. The beautiful silver hair she took so much pride in was uncombed, pulled back in a hurried ponytail. She had her keys in her hand, her boots were on her feet, and her parka was zipped up. Alexandra sighed. God knew her mother was worn out with watching the wee demons; she had not been looking after Zach and Ben as much as her mother and even she was sick of them.

"Go ahead Mom," Alexandra chirped, waving her hand at her mother. "I'm done my homework; I've got time to kill."

Her mother's eyes lit up at the statement. "Oh, thank you so much, Alex honey," Mom breathed a deep sigh of relief. "I didn't want to make you do it, but I do really have to get out of this house."

"Go, go!" Alex insisted, making shooing motions with her hands. "Go get yourself something to eat, go pick up Vietnamese food or go to Starbucks or something, I don't care, just take some time for yourself."

"Okay," Mom laughed, knowing better than to protest. "It's eight, anyway; just get them into bed for me please. I'll be back by ten, tops." With a joyful smile, she flew out the door, and Alex almost immediately heard the garage door open and the engine roar as her mom drove away into the dark winter night.

"Now to find the little devils," she muttered, setting down her book and heading downstairs.

As soon as she stepped off the final stair, the screaming doubled. The two young boys were running around the basement, swinging plastic golf clubs around their heads. Zach was the oldest, at five, with deceiving dark, almost black, eyes and long chestnut curls that were his mother's pride and joy. Ben was practically a clone of his brother, a three year old with the same hair and facial features, the only difference lying in the size of his eyes, which always seemed unnaturally large to Alex, as well as the ever present baby fat. They were Alex's cousins, and though her aunt and uncle enjoyed the "family privilege" of handing off their children, Alex had only felt a steady pulse of mutual dislike from the two boys. This feeling was not at all altered by the scene in front of her. The younglings were still wielding their implements of destruction, shrieking like banshees, though that was probably offensive to banshees. Zach had his shirt off, and Ben was completely nude. Staring over at a hideous, long hated vase that lay shattered in numerous shards on the hardwood floor, Alex mentally berated herself for being at all surprised at the damage. If the velocity of the two boys' circuit around the basement was any indication, it was going to be a long night. "Okay, time for bed, guys," she declared. As one could probably guess, that statement did not go over well. Eventually, Alex had to tuck a wriggling child under each arm and carry them upstairs. Alex offered up a silent prayer of thanks for her swim team's regular weight room and dryland sessions. The six days a week swim practices and weight sessions, plus thrice weekly track practices, had made her strong and lean, which came in very useful in this situation. After a long struggle, she got the boys' teeth brushed, pajamas on, and corralled into the bedroom they were occupying for this seemingly eternal week. The door was shut to prevent escape.

"I don't want to go to bed!" Zach screamed. He was a robust lad, and his lungs were no exception. The former plus the ADHD, blatant disrespect for authority, and a huge ego made the Jackson boys a force to be reckoned with. "No bed! No bed!" echoed Ben, jumping up and down on his bed.

"Do you want a story?" Alex demanded. Suddenly, the door opened a crack and a face peered in.

"Need any help, Alex?" asked Adrian, her sister.

Adrian and Alex were identical twins, both brown haired, brown eyed, tall, tanned, and curvy. They swam and ran, possessed the same strength, and were physically an even match, even with Adrian's shoulder injuries. But they were drastically different individuals, in personality and talent, and, to the best of their abilities, looks. Alex's shiny hair fell to her waist, and she was medium browed. Adrian had glasses, kept her eyebrows plucked thin and curved, and her hair was styled in a very short pixie cut. Alex was a musician, Adrian an artist; both were highly fit, smart, and had an innate love of fantasy, plus a highly unusual ability to quote multiple books and movies from memory. Thus, Alex's earlier Labyrinth reference.

Alex looked up at her sister with an expression of despair as Zach started into a rousing chorus of "Adrian looks like a boy", and Ben started crying at the sight of their less tolerant cousin. "I don't think there's anything you can do," Alex sighed regretfully. Adrian flashed a snarling grin at the two boys, which caused Zach to fall utterly silent and Ben to wail at an even greater intensity.

"Sorry," Adrian chuckled. "Call me if you need me; I'll be across the hall in my lair."

"What are you doing in there?" Alex shouted, attempting to be heard over the racket.

"Calculus," Adrian answered promptly. Both of the girls were honours students, and were always quick to start assignments, even though it was a Friday night. "But I was going to work on my Aragorn portrait too. Call me if you need me!" she repeated. "I can always finish it tomorrow." With a smile, Adrian withdrew her head and shut the door. The door reopened and she peered back again. "By the way," she added. "I heard what you were starting. Quote Labyrinth all you want, just don't wish the little imps away, alright?" The two girls laughed, and Adrian withdrew again, the door clicking shut.

"Wish us away?" Zach sneered skeptically.

"Yep," Alex replied as cheerfully she could, wrestling Ben under the blankets as he continued wailing. "Far, far away, to the Castle Beyond the Goblin City…" she trailed off, staring dreamily out the window as Ben continued to fight her.

"Bullshit," said Zach promptly. "Dad says that the fantasy novels screwed up your brains."

Alex rolled her eyes. "You kiss your mother with that mouth?" she quipped sarcastically, tucking Ben's blankets tightly around him, though he continued to squirm. "Yep," affirmed Zach proudly, apparently pleased with the reaction. "Daddy doesn't mind." Punks, the lot of them, Alex thought sourly. Worse than goblins. She stood and moved to restrain Zach.

"Seriously, you need to go to sleep now," Alex began to strait-jacket Zach.

"You're a bitch," Zach snarled indignantly. "Yeah, bitch!" Ben echoed.

Alex restrained Zach as tightly as she could, and then stormed out of the room as Zach and Ben continued with their derogatory remarks. She shut the door and locked it from the outside, then leaned her head against the wood, trying to hold back bitter tears. "I wish the goblins would come and take you both away right now," she thought angrily, unconsciously muttering the words aloud in her angst. And lo and behold, the yelling suddenly silenced. The lack of noise was similar to an electric shock to the sixteen year old, who jolted upright and quickly unlocked the door, her fingers fumbling in their haste. "Oh no, oh no, oh no," she muttered, throwing open the door and flying into the room. The beds were empty, the duvets fallen flat without their occupants. Outside, a snowstorm roared, winds beating violently against the glass. A dark form peeped up through the mirror, laughed, and disappeared; a furry mass slid out from under the bed and scurried into the closet. Mysterious guests throughout the room engaged in similar activities. "Damn," Alex exclaimed again, but there was more of a sentiment of awe than fear in her voice by this point. She pulled back the covers to make certain, but the beds remained empty and deflated.

With an abrupt whoosh, the French windows flew open and a white barn owl sped into the room, flapping madly. It headed straight for her face and Alex instinctively shied away, staring at the hardwood as an all too familiar shadow lengthened across it. She raised her head slowly, still sure she was dreaming. She drew her gaze up the leather boots, shapely legs in tight black pants, sparkling black cloak, white poets' shirt, black vest, lean muscular arms and black leather gloves, all the way up to the feathery blonde, blue-streaked hair and the face of….

"HOLY FREAKING HEAVEN JARETH THE GOBLIN KING!" Alex shrieked, her hands flying up to her face in a position reminiscent of _The Scream_.

To Alex's highly biased sensibilities, he was just as hot, if not hotter, in person. Elegantly slanted eyebrows framed the flaming blue eyes with their gloriously mismatched pupils, accentuated by black liner and bronze and blue eye shadow. The makeup worked, even though it would have made anyone else look ridiculous. His long, thin nose was the least remarkable feature, but the glossy, thin lips made up for it. Each piece served to render the thin, pale face that remained in Alex's Top 5 Drool-Worthy Fantasy Characters. Said lips curled up in a trademark predatory smirk, and he tilted his head to one side.

"Um, wow, okay," Alex breathed, hyperventilating only slightly as she attempted to calm herself down. "I, um, wasn't expecting a response at all, or at least that prompt of a response… wow, okay…"

Jareth chuckled, highly amused by her fan-girlish attitude and sudden panic. This girl, Alexandra, looked like Sarah, a fact which pleased him, and her summons had come at an opportune time. He hadn't had a Runner in ages, and he had been subject to a highly severe case of boredom. And, like Sarah, this girl obviously knew quite a bit about him and the Labyrinth; it saved the trouble of an introduction. The only confusing aspect was her complete lack of fear.

"Well, um, thanks for taking the little bas… I mean crazies. I needed a little break," she laughed. The goblins in the room, still hidden, laughed along. "Yeah, I'm sorry to force them on you," she continued apologetically. He raised one of his perfect eyebrows but said nothing. Alex felt that she for sure knew what was coming, but she decided to make sure. "There's not any chance I could get them back, is there?" she asked casually.

"What's said is said," Jareth purred smoothly. His voice was like velvet, with the sexiest British accent. ERMAGERSH JARETH'S SEXY VOICE! Alex's inner thoughts shrieked.

"Okay, so I'll have to run the Labyrinth to get them back, right? Cause Aunt Michelle's going to be PISSED," she emphasized. Her aunt was hard enough to deal with on a good day, what with all the vegan food and forced babysitting, but when it came to her kids… Alex preferred not to think about it.

"Your cousins are difficult to deal with, I take it?" Jareth inquired. Alex nodded vigorously. A crystal orb appeared out of thin air and he began to roll it back and forth over his fingers. His lips curled up, revealing sharp white teeth.

"Omigosh, okay- I can't deal with this anymore- ADRIAN!" Alex screamed. "ADRIAN!" She heard the sound of a slamming laptop lid and some scuffling, and Adrian burst through the door.

"What's going o…" Adrian began, but trailed off as she took in the empty beds, broken light, and imposing figure. "HOLY ANGEL IN HELL THE GOBLIN KING'S IN OUR FRICKING HOUSE OKAY I'LL BE RIGHT BACK!" she shrieked in one breath and flew back out of the room. Alex heard a closet door open and the sound of various items being flung about. There was also a crash accompanied by muffled cursing. Alex giggled, while Jareth looked slightly taken aback.

This was unlike any summoning he had ever answered. He always put spells in place to ensure that the Runner was the only individual in the house who remained awake, and generally the Runner was alone in the house was the wish was enacted. But then again, he had never had two children wished away at once before. They must be some kids.

Alex, still waiting in the dark bedroom with Jareth, heard a triumphant whoop, and Adrian skidded back into the room, with a small black Speedo backpack slung over her shoulder. She and Alex had spent hours discussing how they would respond to a situation such as this; one day, out of sheer boredom, they had even packed for it. Over the years, they had jokingly bought miscellaneous items for each other, which they added to the "Emergency Pack" that Adrian now carried. Adrian had also changed her clothes; instead of pyjamas, she now wore black leggings, a black hoodie made of a light material, and a black tank top over a black racer-back sports bra. She was holding her hiking boots in one hand. Her glasses had disappeared, so Alex inferred that she now wore contacts. "Found it!" Adrian exclaimed breathlessly, kneeling down and putting on her boots, doing up the laces with expert speed.

Jareth was staring at Adrian, frowning slightly. "Traditionally, Alexandra, there is _one_ Runner," he stated.

"There're two kids, though!" Alex protested.

"Dude, we're identical twins," Adrian snorted. "Everyone thinks we're one person, and we're taking advantage of it in this case." Yanking at the final knot, she stood and turned to Alex. "Go change really quickly; I'm not sure if he's started the clock yet…" Alex bolted out of the room, but she could still vaguely hear the conversation going on behind her.

"It's tradition…" Jareth began.

"Tradition, balderdash," Adrian scoffed. "You can't expect her to run in her pyjamas, can you?"

There was no reply from the confused Goblin King.

Alex changed as fast as she could, praying with all she was worth that Jareth wouldn't take Adrian and leave. She was ready in under a minute, also in black leggings, tank top, hoodie, and a bright pink sports bra. She quickly pulled her hair back into a ponytail and slipped on a neon green headband. Pushing her feet into her bright green sneakers, she raced back to the guest bedroom. Jareth had his arms crossed, and was tapping his booted foot impatiently as the tassels of his riding crop swished back and forth. The fantastical side of Alex's brain internally began to shriek with awe, and the mental clamor would not cease no matter how firmly it was told to shut up.

"We're ready!" chorused the two girls in unison as they turned to Jareth. They looked at each other, smirking slightly, but decided not to start a Jinx war; it would take forever to end, since they always spoke at the same time, and frankly, it would probably freak Jareth out.

"Are you sure you want to look for them?" Jareth sneered, the crystal rolling over his fingers as the bedroom faded around them, morphing into a steep hill, topped with a gnarled dead tree. Alex and Adrian spun around, and let out identical gasps of delight. The Labyrinth was sprawled out beneath them, the dark stone walls twisting and turning in an intricate patter, covering the hill on which rested the majestic Castle Beyond the Goblin City. Leaves of red, orange, and yellow covered the trees.

Alex and Adrian looked at each other, their eyes brightening. Alex bit her lip, and she could tell Adrian was trying just as hard to keep from erupting into a fan-girl scream. "Oh yeah, for sure, let's do this," Alex giggled in response to Jareth's query.

The Goblin King shook his head, confused at this reaction; Sarah was the bravest girl to have ever solved the Labyrinth, and the view of the expansive maze had frightened _her_ considerably. But this pair was a conundrum; they seem _excited_. He pointed a finger at a branch of the twisted grey tree and a clock appeared, the hands beginning to turn around the thirteen ornate numbers. He turned to Alex and Adrian. "You have thirteen hours in which to solve my Labyrinth…" he began darkly, but stopped short as he was interrupted.

"Before your horrid cousins become goblins FOREVER!" screamed Alex, beginning to laugh.

"And I have a hair appointment then, you can't look this fine by magic alone!" Adrian howled, buckling the backpack straps around her chest and waist.

"SUCH A PITY!" they shrieked in unison, and then shot down the hill, long legs flying as they ran down the snaking path toward the entrance of the maze.

The Goblin King, left alone on the hill with the steadily ticking clock, tilted his head slightly to one side as he watched the lean figures lope with graceful strides toward his Labyrinth. This run was shaping up to be incredibly unique. He grinned ominously, his sharp teeth glinting in the autumn sun, and disappeared along with the clock, leaving the dead tree to keep watch alone as two teenage girls embarked on the adventure of a lifetime.


	2. Hour One

1

"Holy crap, this is actually happening!" Adrian squealed, swinging her arms and beginning to skip as she and Alex moved through the cobblestoned gardens that preceded the Labyrinth entrance.

Alex grinned. As they emerged from a knot of crackling bushes, Alex saw that the stone walls rose up just in front of them. She looked at Adrian, beaming, but Adrian was glaring at something, or someone, over Alex's shoulder. Turning to identify the source of Adrian's apparent displeasure, Alex noticed the square, murky pool, and the stocky dwarf who was relieving himself in it. "What is this, the men's room?" Adrian spat angrily.

"Oh, excuse me!" the dwarf yelped, hurriedly pulling up his trousers and facing the two girls. When his round, baby-blue eyes met Alex's, he started back. "Sarah?" he gasped incredulously. "What happened to your eyes? And who's your boyfriend? Jareth ain't gonna be pleased with him."

Alex laughed. "Sorry, Hoggle, I'm not Sarah. It's nice to meet you though; I'm Alexandra."

"Oh," Hoggle said, still looking surprised. "Sorry; you just look like 'er, ya know? Pretty much the same height, and the long brown hair n' all. I guess I just assumed… but who's your friend?" he added, staring at Adrian.

"This is my twin sister, Adrian," Alex chuckled, putting a hand on Adrian's bristling shoulder.

Hoggle blinked a couple times. "Sister?" he finally managed, apparently still confused. "Where's her hair?"

Adrian huffed. "Though I am appreciative that you have not glanced at my chest once this entire encounter," she hissed, chagrined. "Any more 'she looks like a guy' comments and I toss you six metres, got it?"

Hoggle, looking nervous, glanced back at Alex. "What are two young ladies like yourselves doing outside the Labyrinth?" he inquired curiously.

"Trying to get in," Alex replied, scanning the walls as she looked for the entrance. "We've got a run to do."

"I suppose you'll be wanting to find the door?" Hoggle offered.

"Nah, munchkin, I got this," Adrian snickered, walking away to stand in front of the wall. "How do I get into the Labyrinth?" she intoned loudly and clearly. The air shimmered, and an arched wooden door, with intricate black metal work swirling on the top, creaked open on rusty black hinges. Hoggle looked on in shock as Adrian grabbed Alex's arm and dragged her forward. "All you have to do is ask the right questions!" Adrian smirked as she pulled Alex into the maze.

"Bye Hoggle! It was nice meeting you!" Alex called politely as the door swung shut and the confused dwarf was blocked from view. "Geez, Adrian, you didn't need to be so rude!" Alex exclaimed, jerking away from her sister.

"I suppose it wasn't completely necessary," Adrian admitted, kneeling down and rummaging through the pack. "But we've been ten minutes already and we've just gotten into the maze. We needed to move, and besides, 'Trust no one but your partner', remember?" she quoted from their guidebook, pulling out a long sturdy brown cord from the main compartment.

Alex, her mind flashing back to the many hours of writing and planning, recalled the point of strategy her sister had just referenced. "Yeah," she agreed, pausing as Adrian looped an end of the cord around Alex's waist, securing it tightly with a knot. "What are you doing?"

"Avoid separation at all costs," Adrian quoted, tying the other end around her own hips. "Have a rope tying you and your partner together." She pulled the backpack off the ground and onto her shoulders, and secured the buckles again. She took a look around, and then dragged Alex down a right hand corridor. "Grab a stick," she instructed, snapping two rods off a clump of overgrowth and handing one to Alex. Alex, immediately recalling one of their planning sessions, took it and held out her arm, allowing the end of the stick to clatter over the bricks. Adrian grinned approvingly, and proceeded to do the same on the other wall.

"Oh my gosh, got one!" Alex yelped about three minutes later as her stick detected an invisible opening in the wall.

"I've had none, so let's try that," Adrian decided. As the girls turned right to go through the opening, they heard an unexpected noise.

"Allo!" a small voice chirped.

Alex spun around and marched over to the wall opposite the passage. She knelt down for a closer look and was rewarded; on a tiny ledge next to an even smaller hole, there perched a tiny blue and red worm. "Did you say hello?" Alex giggled, unable to resist the golden opportunity.

"No, I sid allo, but that's close anuff," replied the worm in a cheerful but squeaky Cockney accent.

Adrian, leaning against the opening, chuckled. "Hurry up, Alex; we've got to keep moving."

"Do you know which way to go through that opening to get to the Castle?" Alex asked politely, cutting to the chase, though the temptation was great to re-create Sarah Williams' conversation.

The worm's eyes widened. "You want to get to the Goblin City?" it squeaked.

"Yes; we need to solve the Labyrinth. Do you know which way to go?" Alex confirmed. Adrian gave an approving nod; a mere week earlier, they had made an addition to their guidebook; "_When getting advice, ask questions and get clarification on answers. Ask for exactly what you need_."

"You take the left turn," the worm replied. It looked like it was going to cry. "I've been telling anyone all this time to never go down the Castle path. The last Runner I told looked like you. I told _her_ to go right."

"It's okay; she solved it. Don't worry about her," Alex assured the grief-stricken creature.

Adrian moved in and kneeled down as well. "Thanks for your help," she addressed the worm gently, setting a bright blue M&M in front of it. She helped Alex to her feet, and the twins jogged through the opening and down the left hand path.

"Thank ye! Thank ye very much!" the worm called after them. "Generus leetle creeters," the worm muttered happily. "The missus'll like this," he continued as he rolled the treasure into his home.

In the Castle Beyond the Goblin City, the throne room was, as usual, utter mayhem. Goblins were everywhere; sitting on top of columns, lying on the floor, playing on the windowsills, swinging on the lanterns and chandeliers. Most were teasing the assorted groups of chickens, who were clucking up a storm. Even the presence of Aboveground children in the nest in the centre of the room would have been fairly normal, except that these two were putting up much more of a fuss that was expected. Ben had not stopped screaming since the moment Adrian had poked her head into the room before the Wish had been made. Zach was also bawling and whining for his mother.

Jareth, sitting on his throne on the raised stone dais, sighed as he glanced at the clock. I had only been an hour since the two Runners had left him on the hill, and there were still approximately twelve hours to go. Jareth sighed again, tapping his riding crop against his knee and holding his chin in a gloved hand. He enjoyed the task of looking after wished away children- loved it, in fact – and usually the children were quite young, ranging from newborn to two years old, young enough to sense Jareth's benevolent intentions and to be amused by a musical number. Remembering Toby, he chuckled to himself. But these two, Jareth reflected, turning an annoyed gaze on the two boys, were quite a bit older, and worse, seemed terrified by what was going on around them. Jareth was generally very good with children; it was one of his greatest ambitions to be a father, and he treated the wished away as one of his own. If Sarah had accepted his offer, he may have had his own by now, and they probably would have been the age of the youngest- Ben, wasn't it? He pushed thoughts of Sarah out of his mind and tried to focus on the task at hand.

"Your Majesty?" a small goblin stood before him, bowing nervously.

"Yes?" Jareth snapped, swinging his legs up over the arm of the throne.

"Are my ears bleeding?" the goblin asked, turning its head so Jareth could assess the damage. "The kid has big lungs."

"No, you're good," Jareth rolled his eyes as the goblin murmured a thank you and scurried off. Zach switched to screaming curse words, and he soon had a crowd of goblins sitting around him, listening attentively. It would have been hilarious had it not been happening in this throne room. Jareth shook his head and pulled a crystal out of his pocket. He muttered an inaudible word and the clear orb shimmered, fading away to reveal an image of two girls jogging through the Labyrinth. His eyes widened in surprise; they were getting close to the Knaves. They had taken the opposite turn that Sarah had chosen, but it was no matter; the worm was foolish to think that the Goblin King would have a tunnel that led straight to the fortress. He grinned and tossed the crystal from hand to hand. They were doing well; he would have to pay them a visit soon. And as Zach shouted yet another expletive, the Goblin King found himself wondering it winning this Run would be worth it.


	3. Hour Two

**Authors Note: Hello everyone! Nice to see this story is getting some views! Standard disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth or any such affiliated characters, I only own my OCs.**

Hour 2

"I saw my baby, crying hard as babe could cry, what could I do?" Adrian sang. "My baby's love had gone, and left my baby blue, nobody knew, what kind of magic spell to use…"

"Slime and snails or puppy dog tails, thunder or lightning…" Alex added, warbling along.

Alex and Adrian had been Underground for an hour, and their initial high had not yet faded. Since their conversation with the worm, they had not run into any living creature, save the plants that watched the girls pass with intent, bulbous eyes. Keeping in accordance with one of their strategies, to make a lot of noise while in the Labyrinth to scare off potential assailants, as well as cross an item off their fantastical bucket list, they had danced the jive through the maze while singing every David Bowie song they could possibly think off. They had switched to Magic Dance after entering the sandstone section of the Labyrinth. They had traded off luggage duty, and thus Alex was now carrying the backpack.

"But baby said: DANCE MAGIC DANCE! Dance, magic dance, put that baby spell on me… Jump, magic, jump magic jump, put that magic jump on me, slap that baby, make it free!"

Adrian turned right sharply, Alex following close behind. "Do you have a visual on the Castle?" Adrian broke off the song to inquire.

Alex quickly looked around. "There it is!" she smiled, pointing to her right, where the Castle towered above the Labyrinth.

"We just have to make sure we keep it in sight and know where we are in relation to it," Adrian stated determinedly, squinting at the tan brick walls critically. She took the only available path, which led left. "Dead end!" she groaned, adding a few choice curse words under her breath.

"It's fine, we'll just go back," Alex encouraged, trying to keep relaxed. Panic would get them nowhere. She turned. A solid brick wall stood firmly in front of her, and the passageway they had entered through was gone.

"Well that change was certainly efficient!" Adrian exclaimed with fake cheeriness as she also saw the blockage.

"No, that's the dead end; behind you!" a voice cackled. Alex and Adrian spun around to face the intruder. Where the original dead end had been, there now were two narrow doors, guarded by a pair of strange creatures. Each was hidden behind a shield-like suit of square, faded white armour, with curved edges and swirling corners, reminiscent of a slightly crumpled playing card, and the left one was decorated in red with a matching helmet; the other was adorned with blue. Each had two heads, one at the top and one at the bottom, and looked similar to scruffy, mane-less lions. They stood on two legs, and had four arms, two per head, with sharp curved claws. Each carried a spear that was identical in colour to the helmet.

"Knaves!" Alex shrieked, bouncing up and down and clapping her hands in childlike excitement.

"Knave of doors," Adrian muttered, her brown eyes glazing over as she began to think furiously.

"What are we supposed to do?" Alex mock-sighed, then giggled madly.

"Well the only way outta here is ta try one a these doors," the bottom head of the Red Guard quipped matter-of-factly.

"And I ask one of the top heads which door to take?" Adrian cut in quickly. "And one always tells the truth and one always lies?"

"Correct! The lad is a riddler!" The same head exclaimed, and all four laughed.

Adrian's eye twitched slightly, but she didn't bother to correct them. "It's refreshing ta have a Runner who understands The Rules!" the top head of the blue Knave commented. "But I must warn you, one of these doors leads to the Castle, and the other leads to…"

"Certain death, we understand," Alex interrupted, still grinning. The Knaves cackled.

"Mind if I ask, Alex?" Adrian muttered to her sister.

"Not at all, be my guest!" Alex motioned her forward. "I hate this riddle, anyway."

Adrian took a deep breath and approached the blue Knave, who guarded the right hand door. "Would _he_," she began, pointing at the red Knave, "Tell _me_ that _this_ door leads to the Castle?" she finished, pointing at the door behind the blue knave.

There was an excruciating pause as the two heads of the blue Knave conferred in whispers. Finally, the top head re-emerged and answered, "No."

"Sweet! Move aside, good sir," Adrian requested, her face lighting up with triumph. "This door leads to the Castle!"

Completely taken aback, the four Knaves stared at her. "How'd ya figure it out so fast?" the bottom blue head interjected, baffled.

"Practice," Adrian grinned, reaching forward and opening the door as the Knave moved aside to let her through. "And logic."

"Well, congratulations, little laddie!" the top red Knave exclaimed. Adrian rolled her eyes, but didn't stop smiling. She stood in the doorway for a moment, staring at the stone floor, then leapt forward, landing heavily about a metre into the closed corridor. "Come on, Alex!" she called, standing and brushing herself off. "Jump over that big tile; I think it's rigged." Alex nodded and, slipping it off her shoulders, tossed the backpack to Adrian, who buckled it on.

"Do you think we need a new riddle?" one of the Knaves asked its fellows. "We should probably ask His Majesty…"the three others sighed. Alex giggled.

Alex jumped forward, but ended up landing just on the inside edge of the tile that Adrian had warned her of. She squawked, but nothing happened. She gave an audible sigh of relief and moved to step off the tile just as it opened up under her. Shrieking, Alex fell down a hole. The rope around her waist tightened; Adrian was bracing her feet, trying to keep Alex from falling further. But it turned out Adrian didn't have to worry, because, a couple of metres down, Alex found herself caught by a multitude of rough, grey hands. She shrieked again.

"Why are you yelling? We're helping," came a deep, disembodied voice. "We're Helping Hands."

Adrian, apparently also hearing the introduction, yelled an unprintable word. "Come up! Come up!" she screamed. "And whatever you do, don't call them molesters!"

"So, which way?" asked another voice. "Up? Or d…"

"Up. Up please," Alex interrupted quickly.

There was a whooshing noise like a million voices sighing in disappointment, but Alex felt herself moving upwards, back into the light. As she neared the top, Adrian grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the pit. "Thank you!" Alex called, and could have sworn she saw a raised middle finger appear in response.

"I _almost_ went into _cardiac arrest_, don't _ever_ do that _again_," Adrian gasped.

"Do you think I _meant_ to do that?" The two girls started to jog again, heading down the shadowed stone hall. "Thank heaven for that rope…"

"_What_ the…" Adrian exclaimed a minute later when the corridor came to an abrupt end. The hallway went no further, but a steep, narrow staircase led downward to the right. "Crap," said Adrian, staring blankly at Alex. "I guess we've got to go this way." The two girls crept nervously down the steps, hanging onto the wall as they descended. When they reached the bottom, they halted, both unsure of whether to venture further. "You're stunned silence is very reassuring," Adrian said in the voice of Roz from Monsters Inc. Alex giggled, and, confidence restored, they stepped forward.

"Don't go on!"

The ominous warning in a deep spooky voice came from a face in the wall that was completely camouflaged until the mouth began to move.

Alex yelped and grabbed Adrian's arm. Clinging to each other, they took another few steps forward.

"Take heed, and go no further!" Up ahead, Alex could see similar faces, roughly hewn, staring out of the stone walls.

"Number five!" squeaked Adrian, squeezing Alex's hand. "Number Five!"

Alex took a moment to recall the fifth step of their hypothetical guide book: 5. Run through dark corridors screaming Jareth Old Spice. She grinned at Adrian and nodded.

The two girls bolted forward and began to yell, the pounding of their feet and the echoing of their voices drowning out the frightening advice of the stone faces.

"LOOK AT HIS CROTCH-BACK UP-THE CRYSTAL IS NOW A SNAKE-ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE WHEN YOUR MAN SPARKLES LIKE JARETH AND IS NOT A VAMPIRE- I'M ON A HORSE!"

Alex and Adrian screamed. They turned a corner and Alex rammed into Adrian, who had skidded to a sudden stop. A wide doorway led into a T-intersection, with one passage leading left, the other right. Directly in front of them, a beggar in a wide brimmed black hat and ragged multicoloured cloak sat slumped against the wall, a tin cup clutched in a gnarled paw. Adrian made a sound like a mouse being trodden on, and pulling the Book out of her pocket, jabbed her finger at a page. Alex leaned over and read the neat writing indicated by Adrian's fingernail:

_11. Any beggars are most likely Jareth. Drop something in the cup and walk away._

"What have we here?" the miserable creature croaked.

Adrian jerked her thumb at the side pocket of the backpack. Quietly as she could, Alex undid the zipper and pulled out the first thing her fingers touched; a thick silver bracelet inlaid with jewels. She held it up to Adrian, who nodded vigorously and motioned toward the cup. Drop it into the cup and run left as fast as you can, Adrian mouthed slowly.

Alex stepped forward and, leaning forward slightly, held the bracelet over the mouth of the cup. There was a quiet clink as she let go, and the two girls sprinted as fast as they could down the left hand corridor.

"KEEP CALM AND ENJOY MY LABYRINTH KEEP CALM AND UP THE STAKES KEEP CALM AND HAVE A BASIS FOR COMPARISON KEEP CALM AND DEAL WITH THIS SLICE!" they shrieked the memes in one breath. Within a couple seconds, they reached the end of the hallway, where a ladder was attached to the wall.

"Climb! Climb! Climb!" Adrian squealed, pushing Alex forward. Nimbly, Alex leapt up onto the rungs and pulled herself, hand over hand, up the ladder. "Go!" Adrian shrieked again, following. A couple metres up, there was a trap door. Alex shoved it open and clambered up and out into the open air. When Adrian was through, they pulled the lid back on and sat on it, breathing heavily.

"Holy. Shit." Adrian panted. "That. Was. Way too close." And Alex had to agree.

* * *

><p>As soon as the two Runners disappeared through the hold, the beggar stood. He pulled off the hat and the large cloak, which had indeed hidden Jareth. He had seen the entire silent conversation the two girls had when they had spotted. Even though he was disguised very well, as was his specialty, they seemed to have suspected his true identity. And he was still perplexed by the notebook which the boyish one had shown to Alexandra. Was that how they had known it was him? How had they gotten this far without any help or mishaps? And, most strangely, how had they known all of the phrases he had used in this very spot during his first confrontation with Sarah and Higgle? He tipped the cup into his hand, and the bracelet slid out into his palm. Holding it up the meager bits of sunlight that filtered through the cracks in the stones above him, he examined it curiously. He had portrayed a beggar on many different Runs, and never in his immortal life had a Runner given him anything. The diamonds were fakes; that was obvious, and the metal was cheap alloy, but it could still fetch a fairly good price in the Goblin Market. These girls were certainly prepared. He grinned and pulled a crystal out of his jacket. They had evaded him for now, but he would catch them eventually; maybe he would give them a present. Swirling his cloak, he vanished in a flash of glitter.<p>

* * *

><p>"Let's get moving," Alex said presently, standing up gingerly. They had been sitting on the trap door cover for almost five minutes, still in a state similar to shell shock. "What time is it anyway?"<p>

Adrian dug through the bag and pulled out a watch. She peered at it closely, and a look of disgust crossed her face. "It's not working!" she seethed, waving it in the air so Alex could also see the still hands. "I put new batteries in it yesterday!"

"Maybe the magic in the air is messing with it," Alex suggested. "It wouldn't really help us anyway; we have no idea when we left, or even if the time down here is the same." She helped Adrian to her feet. "But let's keep moving. I'd bet we've been Running for about two hours." By unspoken agreement, they pressed on, keeping the Castle in sight.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: If you liked it or have any constructive criticism, do me a favour and leave a review! It's a win-win; I will get help to be a better writer, and the rest of you get to read a better story! Thanks!<strong>

**Tierney**


	4. Hour Three

**Author's Note: It's making me quite happy to see that there are quite a few people viewing this story! In case it wasn't blatantly obvious already, I do not own Labyrinth.**

Hour 3

"Come on, Alex, it's fine, we're alone!" Adrian wheedled. "No one's going to see you!"

"Don't take anything for granted," Alex rolled her eyes. But the fight was leaving her; the autumn sun was beating down on them, and it felt quite hot to the two girls, especially since it had been the middle of winter Aboveground. So she gave in to Adrian's whining, and pulled off her tank top, tying it onto a backpack strap for easy access. Besides her hot pink sports bra, her torso was now bare. "Awesome Thing to Do Because You Can #14: Run through the Labyrinth wearing sports bras without shirts. Check," Alex grinned, taking the backpack from Adrian for her carrying shift. Adrian smiled and rolled her shoulders, getting used to the absence of a load.

"Hungry?" Adrian held out a granola bar, which Alex snatched eagerly. They hadn't eaten since dinner, over five hours previously. Moaning a little, Alex slowly chewed, letting the peanut butter and chocolate cascade over her tongue. Adrian took a long sip from her water bottle.

"Why aren't you eating?" Alex demanded.

"Not hungry," Adrian said simply. They changed their pace from a walk to a jog, weaving around the tall hedges that formed this section of the maze.

"It looks like we're pretty close," Alex commented presently, tilting her chin towards the Castle, which did indeed appear to be much larger than it had earlier in the Run.

"Things aren't always what they seem in this place," Adrian groaned, looking wistfully towards the Goblin City. She ran a hand through her hair, spiking it up. "Jareth's probably watching us through one of his damn crystal things," she wiggled an eyebrow at Alex, who laughed. They passed under a small stone arch into a cobblestone courtyard. Two doors stood at the far corner, each with a grotesque metal knocker shaped like a face. One had a ring looping out of its ears; one had a ring in its mouth. Alex and Adrian walked forward to stand in front of the doors. "They'll open if you knock, I'm pretty sure," Adrian guessed, biting her lip as she concentrated. "You knock on one, I'll knock on the other; check what's inside and then we'll decide." Obeying, Alex reached up and knocked on the door with the deaf knocker. "Ow!" it shrieked angrily.

"Shut it," Alex muttered, pushing open the door and peering around. She could hear Adrian doing the same a foot away. When Alex saw what lay behind the door, she blinked a couple times, not sure if she was seeing correctly. It looked like paradise; a bright green meadow glowing with colourful wildflowers. A sweet, drowsy smell emanated from the flowers at Alex's feet, and she was suddenly filled with an overwhelming desire to just lie down and rest… She was pulled out of her reverie by Adrian's voice.

"I think a bit of Middle Earth got trapped in the Labyrinth, cause I'm seeing Mirkwood," Adrian chuckled. "What'd you get?"

"Paradise," Alex murmured happily. A butterfly fluttered onto her finger. It was pure white with black markings. "Oh, look, Adrian," she giggled. "This butterfly has skulls on its wings."

"Damn all to hell," cursed Adrian, and Alex was yanked backward by the rope around her waist. The door swung shut, the meadow disappearing from view. "We're going this way," Adrian snapped, dragging Alex through the second door.

Alex struggled against the iron grip. "I thought we were supposed to make decisions together!" she protested.

"Not when the other person is acting drunk, we don't," Adrian replied grimly, turning and slapping Alex squarely across the face. Alex started back, holding her smarting cheek, but she now felt more alert, more awake. "Sorry 'bout that, but FOCUS!" Adrian hissed, releasing Alex's arm and continuing through the dense, dark trees.

The forest was dark, full of dull colours and rippling shadows. There was an eerie silence; there were no birds, no animal calls, nothing but the crackle of leaves and dead twigs beneath their feet. Gradually, Alex began to hear clicks that were coming from directions other than below. "Adrian…" she whispered, but Adrian put a finger to her lips and made a cut-it-out motion with her other hand. _Fireys_, Adrian mouthed. Alex practically stopped breathing in her effort to make no noise. Fireys, though seemingly harmless, were vicious; their favourite game involved tearing limbs off of their helpless victims. A run in with the Fire Gang could end in a life-threatening injury, or death, if the Gang took a liking to either of the girls' heads. Drawing attention was not worth the risk. However, their caution was for naught.

_Tap tap tap-tap. Tap tap-tap tap tap-tap_.

With a wild yell, a spindly beast, with a round beaked head covered in flamed coloured fur – red, orange, yellow, and pink – leapt in front of the two terrified travellers. Two others appeared behind, and one on both sides, and another popped up in front. They were surrounded. "All six!" Adrian yipped sarcastically.

"Lookee 'ere!" cackled the first Firey. "Visitars!"

"Damn," muttered Adrian.

"Maybe de wood like ta play te game!" the second added. All six burst into a fit of maniacal laughter.

"Um, no thanks," Alex ventured, sliding cautiously after Adrian, who was attempting to slip between the fence of Fireys. "We have, um, a friend, expecting us." Adrian was through. Alex followed. Adrian began to quickly walk forward, pulling Alex along.

"Come on, little lady!" the third wheedled, popping off its head and bouncing it up and down at its side, like a basketball. "Play a little game! Your boyfriend can be on your team too!"

Even though she was a few feet behind, Alex could still hear Adrian's annoyed snort. "No, thank you, but we're really running late," Alex lied politely, starting to jog as Adrian picked up the speed.

"Hey! Come back little lady! We need to take off your head!" the first called. The others yelled their assent, and sprang. Adrian started sprinting. Down the path, the trees thinned out, giving way to jagged rock cliffs. There were multiple paths through the wall of rock.

"Which way?" shrieked Adrian, appearing to be a bit overwhelmed with the situation. Alex, taking the lead, headed left, running as fast as she could through the narrow gully. She skidded to a stop as the stone cliffs rose menacingly above them.

"Dead end!" she spat, turning around.

"No! Up! Up!" Adrian screamed, as, whipping past Alex, she ran up the wall in a parkour style move, grabbing rough ledges in the rock to haul herself to the top. Alex quickly copied before the rope connecting them tightened.

Biceps burning, Alex pulled herself up the rock face, gripping the rough edges of the wall, swinging her legs onto little outcrops to power herself up. At the bottom, the Fireys howled in disappointment. When Alex was high enough, Adrian snatched her wrists and pulled her the last metre. Adrian peered over the edge and glared at their pursuers. "Those guys really need to learn that no means no," she muttered.

"Quite possibly 'no' in the Underground means 'maybe so'," Alex joked.

"With Jareth as a monarch? That would not surprise me," Adrian snickered. "Could you imagine what the Goblin Kingdom constitution must look like? Number eight would read, 'When it comes to young girls who are denying your attentions, "no" may always be translated to "maybe so"'." They straightened and turned their backs on the moaning Fireys below. Alex quickly examined their surroundings. They were standing on top of a high stone wall topped with a road. It was wide enough that a car could easily pass along it, and stretched out toward the horizon farther than Alex could see.

"Damn, contact's falling out," Adrian exclaimed suddenly, turning away and prodding the glass lens back into her eye socket.

"That's disgusting," commented Alex bluntly. She took off the backpack and rolled her shoulders. Finished adjusting the contact, Adrian picked up the pack without a word.

"The Castle is that way," Adrian stated, pointing towards their destination. "If we want to get closer, let's head left." Alex nodded and the two girls resumed jogging.

* * *

><p>"What the f**k even is this place?" Zach sneered, strolling aimlessly around the throne room with his pudgy hands on his hips, glaring at everything his eyes touched.<p>

Jareth sighed. This lad was a piece of work. His speech was a stream of profanity straight out of… what was that show with all the vulgar small children? South Park? The Goblin King left off his musings and answered. "The throne room," he replied shortly. Though the smallest one, Ben had _finally_ stopped screaming, drugged to sleep with a potent mixture of peach nectar and goblin booze, Jareth's patience was stretched to a wire.

Zach snorted. "Like a princess castle?" he scoffed. "I hate castles."

"What do you like, then?" Jareth asked, rolling a crystal back and forth over his fingers. The child's gaze followed the orb.

"Thomas the Train and blowing up stuff," answered Zach, still hypnotized by crystal.

Jareth rolled his eyes and walked towards the door of the throne room. He turned his head and addressed the goblins. "If this one is not also asleep by the time I return, I will personally drop all of you into the Bog," he threatened, throwing open the tall wooden doors and storming out into the hall. He had a visit to make.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Thank you so much to all the people who are taking the time to read this. Leave me a review and let me know how I'm doing! <strong>

**Thanks! Tierney**


	5. Hour Four

**Author's Note: I still do not own Labyrinth, and only take credit for my OCs. **

Hour 4

"Holy hell, was a gas mask one of the things we brought?" Adrian groaned, fanning a hand in front of her face. They had been moving along the wall for an hour at least, according to Adrian's often impeccable sense for the passing of time. The terrible smell, reminiscent of a dead fish left in the trunk of a car over July Long Weekend, had developed oh so gradually that neither girl had noticed it at first, but it had escalated to a strength that made it almost unbearable.

"Let me check," offered Alex, stepping behind Adrian to check the pack. They had put their shirts back on; the height of the wall made them feel like they were on a pedestal, and they didn't want to put on a show, especially not for a certain king. "Omigosh, look!" Alex yipped, holding up two gas masks. "We thought of everything, didn't we?"

Adrian laughed and quickly pulled the mask over her face, which immediately began to filter the air that entered the mask, eradicating the smell. Alex followed suit. "We must be getting close to the Bog," Adrian guessed.

"That should have been blatantly obvious. I just hope we don't have to go through it," Alex hoped, putting her hands together and looking up at the sky.

"Knowing our luck, we will," Adrian chuckled.

Jareth, leaning against a tree in a forest about a kilometre away from the Bog of Eternal Stench, summoned an image of the two Runners in his crystal. For a moment, he thought he had made a mistake, but he soon came to the conclusion that he had not. He was still watching the two curvy, obviously female figures. Their arms were bare, revealing developed muscles in their arms and shoulders, and the tight leggings showed hard bands of muscles in their legs as well. There were outlandish masks covering their heads, with black, buggy eyes, two short canisters extending out from their cheeks, and a round metal piece where their mouths should have been. He could not see either of their faces, but, even though they were identical twins, there were sure to be other physical differences besides hair. One of the girls had smaller shoulder muscles, larger calves and quadriceps, while her companion was far more ripped in the upper body, and slightly less in the legs. The girl with the developed upper body also had a thinner waist. Jareth pondered his findings for a moment, and then snapped his fingers excitedly as he came to a conclusion. Though she had been carrying the pack for the majority of the run, the boyish one had been continuously swinging her arms, grimacing and massaging her shoulder joint. She was probably injured, Jareth decided, thus was likely less developed in the shoulders. Therefore, the girl closest to him in the image, with bigger shoulders and smaller waist, was Alexandra. Pleased with his own cleverness, Jareth grinned and tossed the crystal into the air. He would be waiting for them.

"Now what?" Alex groaned. "Do we keep going along the wall or do we head down?" Another half an hour had passed and they had arrived at an intersection: the stone road continued onward towards the horizon, and a stone staircase led off the wall, heading down in the direction of the Castle. The monument in question was straight ahead of them when they faced the stairs. Adrian put her hands on her hips and surveyed the terrain, the sun reflecting off of the eyes of her gas mask. She hissed through her teeth.

"I'd vote head down," she ventured finally. "I'm guessing that this wall is a boundary between the main Labyrinth and the Bog, so if we keep on the wall, we'll just be putting distance between us and the Goblin City. We're going to have to go through the Bog, I can feel it," she concluded, sounding exasperated.

Alex sighed. "But at least we might see Didymus!" she realized, cheering up significantly. Adrian snorted and started down the stairs. "Ya know, it's kind of difficult for me to tell what you're thinking when your face is covered up like something out of Romantically Apocalyptic!" Alex called indignantly, following.

"You mean you can't read my mind?" Adrian mocked. They continued to descend, and soon they began to hear noises. "Oh joy, the oh-so-clever gastrointestinal soundtrack of Jareth's favourite torture chamber," Adrian exclaimed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Heaven, I wish this thing could filter noise as well as air…"

Their view of the Bog became larger and clearer as they kept moving down the stairs. It was not necessarily a view that could be improved by proximity; a bog, by definition, was an ugly, muddy swampland, coloured in the trademark disgusting shades of brown, green, and black. The trees that had taken root there had died, leaving the cracked grey remains of trunks to accent the mud and murky bodies of water. A narrow, treacherous trail of dirt snaked through the Bog the only know exit: the rickety bridge guarded by the Fox Knight.

"Merda," Adrian spat in Galician, earning a burst of laughter from Alex. Alex could practically hear Adrian smirking under her gas mask. "Let's get moving; the faster we run this gauntlet the better."

"Just don't touch anything off the path," Alex reminded quickly, and they took their first step onto the path. "Ermagersh," Alex moaned, her voice shaky. "Ermagersh, this is so gross, ermagersh…"

The ground, though not a dangerous part of the bog, was still soft, squelching beneath their shoes. "Just keep moving," Adrian ordered, moaning a little herself. She breathed deeply through her gas mask, her voice rattling.

"You sound like a Sith lord!" Alex giggled. They slipped around a particularly thin section of the path, moving on their toes to avoid the lapping tongues of the water. "Ahh, don't touch it," Alex worried.

Adrian raised herself up onto the toes of her boots. "And _this_ is the only time ballet training with ever prove useful to me," she commented, raising her arms above her head in fifth position and walking _en pointe_ down the trail. It was surprisingly graceful for someone who was wearing a gas mask.

"You look ridiculous!" Alex howled, but ballet galloping after her sister with her hands on her hips.

"I can see the Bridge!" Adrian yelped suddenly, walking more quickly. When the path widened out, they started running. They quickly reached the Bridge, whose guard was nowhere in sight. Adrian looked around, frowning. "Should we just cross? Or will that just piss Didymus off?"

"Um, Sir Didymus?" Alex called hesitatingly. "Sir Didymus? We need to reach the Castle. May we have your permission to cross?"

"Travellers?" a voice squeaked gruffly. "Seeking the Castle Beyond the Goblin City?" A furry orange head, wearing a feathered blue velvet beret and an eye patch, popped out of a hole in the stone pillar. It was the Fox Knight. "But what strange manner of creatures art thou?" he demanded in his fancy Old English dialect, hopping out the pillar to stand in front of the pair.

"Humans," Adrian answered in her "No Shit Sherlock" voice. "Runners of the Labyrinth."

"If thy intentions art honest, why dost thou attire thy faces in such grotesque masks?" Didymus asked suspiciously.

"Would it help our case if we showed you our faces, good knight?" Alex inquired politely.

"Aw, cuss; prepare yourselves," Adrian muttered resignedly.

"It'll only be for a couple seconds, sir; we can't breathe the air down here," Alex explained, filling her lungs with oxygen in preparation for the coming exposure.

"As you wish," the Knight consented, graciously, bowing.

"Ready?" Alex asked Adrian, who nodded and shrugged. "Okay, on three; one, two, three."

Taking deep breaths, the girls pulled the masks away from their faces. They held this position for about ten seconds to allow Didymus to examine them, and then donned the masks once again, taking grateful gulps of the filtered air.

"Lady Sarah?" Didymus gasped incredulously. "What art thou doing Underground? And who is thy handsome guardian? He may give Jareth reason to be jealous."

"Okay universe, I'm getting the message loud and clear," said Adrian dryly, pinching the bridge of her nose through her gas mask. "I give up."

"Sorry, I'm not Sarah," Alex apologized. "I'm Alexandra, and this is Adrian."

"My mistake, my lady," acknowledged Didymus courteously. "Thou dost resemble the Lady Sarah greatly."

"So I've heard. But we have two kids to rescue; may we have your permission to cross?" Alex asked again.

Didymus looked slightly taken aback. "Yes," he decided finally. "The bridge doth lie yonder; my brother Ludo and I have toiled to make it better."

"Thanks, good sir!" Alex smiled brightly, moving forward as Didymus stepped aside.

"By the way, Sir Knight, in what glorious battle did thou come to lose thy eye?" Adrian drawled, purposefully deepening her voice to make it sound more masculine.

Didymus' good eye widened, and he paused. "I – I – I cannot recall!" he stated in surprise.

"Thou hast fought victoriously in so many battles that it is no wonder thou hast forgotten one buried so deep in the pages of Underground History," Adrian growled sympathetically. Alex could hear a laugh rippling below her voice. "I was merely curious; forgive me, my Liege."

Didymus puffed out his tiny chest and saluted. "Thou art a true knight, Sir Adrian!" he proclaimed. "Lady Alexandra is very safe under thy protection. Guard her well."

Adrian saluted back, clicking her heels together in a proper military stance. "Yes, sir!" she barked. "Thank you sir!"

"May your journey be safe, my lady!" Didymus bowed to Alex, and then hopped back into the pillar.

"Okay, go, go, go!" Adrian barked as soon as Didymus' fluffy vanished through the hole. The two girls scurried up to the bridge, if a two-by-four outfitted with rickety rails deserved the name. "This thing is going to fall any second; run!" Adrian commanded brusquely, prodding Alex forward.

Tightening her abdomen in an attempt to lift herself up, Alex bolted across the beam, running on the balls of her feet. There was an ominous cracking noise as Adrian followed. Thankfully, the Bridge didn't snap in half and plunge into the water until the two girls were safely on the other bank. "They really need to do some renovations in this place," Adrian grimaced peevishly, staring at the wooden pieces as they were sucked out of sight.

"Let's just get out of here," Alex sighed, taking Adrian's arm and pulling her down the path that led away from the Bog of Eternal Stench.

Waiting in a forest a few kilometres away, the Goblin King groaned and rolled his eyes. He really needed to change that fox's oath.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Thank you all for taking the time to read my story. Review if there are any improvements you think I could make, or if you liked it; it'll make me a better writer to hear some comments. You are also welcome to PM me with questions or comments! <strong>

**Thanks! ****Tierney**


	6. Hour Five

**Author's Note: I do not own Labyrinth. In addition, "Sexy Back" belongs to Justin Timberlake. **

Hour 5

"I'm bored. We've been walking through this damn forest for heaven knows how long."

"Shut up! A certain fey monarch is going to be fairly ticked off if he hears you bashing his Labyrinth," Alex hissed, but in reality, she was hoping for a diversion just as much as Adrian. They hadn't seen any creatures since Didymus an hour before, and the forest they were trekking through, though beautiful, was not an incredibly novel experience. At least they were away from the Bog, and the gas masks were safely stowed in the pack.

"I mean, it's gorgeous and all," Adrian corrected herself. "But if I wanted to hike through a forest, I could have just gone to the park back home. Or to Banff or Lake Louise. It would have been a lot safer. And there would be food."

"But it's a lot warmer _here_," Alex argued. It was; both girls had taken off their tank tops again.

"Yeah, but at least at home we can walk out of a forest and head directly to a Starbucks!" Adrian countered.

"I would rather have warm weather than coffee," Alex declared.

"Listen to us! We're fighting about the _weather_!" Adrian rolled her eyes. "We must be really bored."

"What can we do to amuse ourselves, then?"

Adrian pondered for a moment, and her lips slowly curled up into an impish grin. "There's one song we haven't sung yet," she mentioned mischievously.

"Really?" Alex exclaimed, and her eyes widened in realization. "Oh no," she giggled. "Not that."

"Jareth's bringing sexy back," Adrian trilled. "Them mother flippers don't know how to act..."

"Yep!" Alex interjected, laughing.

"Come let him make up for the things you lack…"

"Yep!"

"Cause you're burning up he gotta get it fast..."

"TAKE 'EM TO THE BRIDGE!"

"Dirty babe, you see these shackles baby I'm your slave; I'll let you whip me if I misbehave…"

"It's just that no one makes me feel this way…"

By this point, the two girls had covered quite a bit of ground. They passed through a small, dense grove of maples, singing all the way.

"TAKE 'EM TO THE CHORUS!"

"Come here girl…"

"Go ahead, be gone with it…"

"Come to the back…"

"Go ahead, be gone with it…"

"VIP…"

"Go ahead be gone with it…"

"Drinks on me…"

"Go ahead be gone with it…"

"Let me see what you're dealing with…"

"LOOK AT THOSE LIPS!"

"You make me smile; go ahead child…"

"And get your sexy on…"

Giggling hysterically, the girls broke into a run, ducking under branches and dodging tree trunks.

"Get your sexy on…. Go ahead be gone with it… Get your sexy on…" Alex warbled.

"Go ahead be gone with it… get your sexy on… get your sexy ooo… oh crap." Adrian's wail abruptly ended with a curse as she skidded to a stop, fallen leaves and twigs cracking beneath her boots. Not ready for the completely unexpected change in speed, Alex whisked past Adrian, smacked into a tree trunk, and fell over.

"That was decidedly not sexy, but are you okay?" Adrian gasped, helping Alex to her feet.

"Believe so," Alex blinked, shaking her head vigorously to clear it.

"Very graceful," a lilting voice smirked. A tall blonde male stood in front of them, leaning against a tree as he tossed one of his crystals from hand to hand. Embarrassed that another person had witnessed her epic failure, Alex found herself blushing furiously.

"Lucius Malfoy?" Adrian yelped, pretending to squint. "Or is it Legolas? Oh, sorry; wrong fandom…"

Jareth did not appear to be pleased with this reception. "Is it wise to trifle with someone who can reorder time?" the Goblin King hissed threateningly.

"Not really, but I'm more of a smart ass myself," Adrian chirped. Jareth twitched. "Oh, sorry; was that a rhetorical question?"

Jareth sighed, and, standing upright, approached Alex, who backed up until her back was against the trunk of a tree. _Damn_. He put his hands against the trunk on either side of her and leaned forward. She shrank against the trunk as he towered over her menacingly. A feral grin lit up his face. Alex snuck a glance at Adrian under Jareth's lean arm. Her sister's eyes were as big as saucers, and they were screaming:

"_I know this looks perverted, but in the movie it was really romantic, trust me!_" she silently referenced a Twilight parody that had made fun of the same situation in which Alex currently found herself. Alex bit her lip, trying not to laugh.

"So, Alexandra," Jareth purred. "How are you enjoying my Labyrinth?"

"_Whatever you do don't say piece of cake!_" came Adrian's telepathic plea. Alex glared at her sister.

"_I'm not an idiot!_" her eyes communicated.

Adrian smiled evilly and hefted a large tree branch in her hands. "_Shall I bash his skull in, precious?_"

"I would put the stick down, if I were you," Jareth suggested, his gaze not leaving Alex's face. Alex saw Adrian's lips form a silent swear word as she set the stick down. "How are you enjoying my Labyrinth, dear Alexandra?" he repeated in a syrupy voice.

Adrian mimed puking. "_Doesn't he already have a girl at home_?" she mouthed. Alex giggled, and turned her attention back to the man who had her pinned against a tree.

"Um, it's very beautiful!" she finally tried, making her tone as polite and cheerful as the compromising situation allowed. "You did a great job with the landscaping. And it took us forever to figure out the riddles; you were very clever to include such difficult challenges!" she tacked on a final lie. Adrian rolled her eyes at such an overt display of flattery.

"But obviously not difficult enough," Jareth hinted softly, moving closer_. Aw, crap_.

"Okay, yeah, I was lying there; we're pretty good at riddles," Alex sighed. "Well, Adrian is. What was I even thinking there, you've been watching us the entire time…"

"Indeed," Jareth murmured, his blue eyes still drilling into her brown ones.

"Yeah, we put on quite a show!" Adrian laughed. Jareth ignored her. He knew the boyish one was afraid; they both were, though they were actually disguising it fairly well. Young Alexandra was being quite brave, similar to Sarah, but unlike Sarah, she was not acting overly confident.

"If I had known you were going to make an appearance, I would have put my shirt back on…" Alexandra muttered, lowering her arms and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh, that's quite alright," Jareth stated smoothly. "This is a good look for you…" he added, trailing a gloved fingertip along her bare ribcage. Something in Alex's brain short-circuited and she duked under Jareth's arms and smacked his hand away from her side.

"Whoa there dude; NOT okay!" Alexandra snapped indignantly, backing away.

Jareth lunged, caught her wrists in his iron grip, and slammed her back against the tree. "You _dare_ slap your King?" he growled, the pressure on her wrists increasing. Jareth had never had a female Runner behave like this; usually they would fall all over him, and he had never been _slapped_. Nor had anyone thrown a pinecone at him, which was what happened next. Snarling, Jareth whipped around to face Adrian, allowing Alex to slip free from his grasp and run to join her sister.

"Actually," Adrian retorted cuttingly, hefting another large pinecone in her palm. "Elizabeth II is our Queen, Charles will be the next king, William after that, and then George if he ever grows out of the adorable baby stage. And in our country, that degree of invading personal space gets you arrested." The teenage girl and immortal ruler glared at each other, sparks shooting from their eyes. Jareth's mind was racing. How in the name of the whole Underground was he supposed to respond to this?

"Nothing?" Adrian smirked. "Nothing?" Jareth didn't say anything; he kept glaring. "Nothing?" the boyish one repeated for a third time. She paused for a moment, and an expression of evil genius crossed her face. "_Nothing_, tra-la-la?" she howled. Alex choked. Jareth snapped.

"That is it," Jareth snarled. "You think I can be trifled with? Very well; let's up the stakes." A thirteen numbered clock appeared next to him, and when it pointed at it, the hands began to spin.

6

7

8

9

When the movement slowed and stopped, the clock's hands smugly indicated that the Run was in the tenth hour. "Four hours off?!" Alex shrieked, though Adrian was still in hysterics. "You only took three off Sarah!"

"Yes, well, that was Sarah," Jareth hissed, grinning.

"Oh yes, Sarah, of course. You didn't really take that into account when you had me up against that tree, no sir," Alex drawled sarcastically.

Frowning, Jareth pointed at the clock, and another half-hour vanished.

"Son of a bitch," chuckled Adrian, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. "We're screwed."

"You think my Labyrinth is a piece of cake, do you?" Jareth spat angrily.

"Well, I don't recall mentioning that it was a piece of…" Adrian corrected, revelling in being a smart aleck. Jareth turned on her furiously before she could finish.

"Silence!" he yelled. "Let us see how you deal with this little slice!" He reached into his coat and hurled a crystal into the trees. There was a sound like a rushing current, and a wave of water hurtled towards them.

Adrian looked at the wall of water, glanced at Alex and laughed. "Come on, fellow swimmer, we got this," she quipped, grabbing Alex's hand and dragging her forward, away from the oncoming water. They were soon forced to stop. "Ooh, lookee! A cliff!" Adrian squealed. "There's a lake ten metres below us, plus some extra water on its way, so shall we jump, precious?"

"No!" Alex screamed. She was terrified of heights.

"Too late now!" Adrian encouraged as the tidal wave bore down on them. "Jump!" She leapt off the cliff, pulling Alex with her.

On the way down towards the surface of the lake, their mission, Jareth, and the Labyrinth were all pushed out of their minds by one violent curse word that filled their minds in capital letters.

Alex and Adrian screamed as they dropped. They hit the water hard; all the air whooshed out of Alex's lungs upon impact, and her body hurt like she had hit concrete. Hand paddling wildly, the two girls swam up to the surface, which was rolling wildly from both the entry of the two Runners and the addition of a small lake's worth of water.

"Shoes off!" Adrian hacked, coughing as she tried to expel the water from her lungs. Alex obediently curled up and pulled off her socks and sneakers. "Into the bag!" Adrian coughed, floating on her back and holding the small backpack on her chest like a sea otter. Alex quickly shoved the shoes into a separate pocket of the bag. "I can't get mine off," Adrian sobbed helplessly. "Effing hiking boots." She was gripping her right shoulder tightly. "But the pack is waterproof, at least."

Alex, treading water, began to undo the laces of Adrian's boots, gingerly pulling them off and adding them to the bag. "Are your contacts okay?" Alex asked.

Adrian felt her eyes, chuckling. "Yeah, actually." She gasped and bit her lip, holding her shoulder even tighter. "Hey, look; there's the dumbass," she tried to laugh, tilting her chin toward the top of the cliff. The figure of the Goblin King stood atop like a monument. "The one curveball you throw at us ends up being something we rock at!" Adrian shrieked. "IDIOT!" Her voice broke and she started crying. Alex took the backpack off Adrian's chest and strapped it onto her own back. Alex had felt like bursting into tears herself, but the fact that Adrian had broken down first shocked her out of hysterics. Adrian began to flutter kick, moving away from the cliff in the direction of the Castle, and Alex began to follow, doing breaststroke. They were almost there.

* * *

><p>Jareth stood on top of the cliff, the wind ruffling his hair as he watched the two Runners swim towards the opposite shore. He had not expected that response to his newest challenge, and he certainly had not imagined that they would jump off the cliff of their own accord. Alexandra seemed to have endured the fall well, but the boyish one was injured; that much was obvious. A dislocated shoulder, perhaps?<p>

With his perfect vision, he was that the boyish one was still watching him watch them. Seeming to guess that his eyes were on her in particular, she raised her middle finger in salute. He laughed; her attitude had not been at all damaged, certainly.

Turning away, he walked back into the woods and stared at the clock he had left hanging in midair. They were so far already; he had no reason for this course of action. But some small part of him won out, and raising his hand, he replaced an hour and a half on the clock. He waved his hand and the apparition vanished. He walked back out to the precipice and stood there for a moment, watching the sunlight flicker on the clear water. He twisted on the spot, vanishing as he transported himself back to the Castle. He would check on his Runners later; perhaps he would bring them a gift. But first, he needed to make sure that the Goblins had not poisoned the two little ones.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Thanks to Mlle Fanfic Guest for the first review and follow! To the rest of the readers, leave a review if you liked it or you have any constructive criticism! Thanks! -Tierney<strong>


	7. Hour Nine

**Author's Note: Just as an explanation, the hours have jumped from 5 to 9 due to Jareth's interference in the last chapter. I still do not own Labyrinth - though not for lack of wishing - and I only own my OCs. **

Hour 9

Half an hour later, Adrian and Alex's feet touched the pebbled bottom of the lake. Standing up, the two girls walked unsteadily the rest of the way to the shore. Adrian ruffled her hair with left hand, spiking it up and causing water droplets to fly out of it. Alex's ponytail was completely soaked, rivulets of water dripping down her back. Both girls were drenched, but the leggings and sports bras would soon dry. Alex opened the backpack to assess the damage, and saw that the one of the smaller compartments had been exposed to the lake; water had spread over most of the items inside, but it wasn't the end of the world- most of the stuff was water resistant. Their hoodies were soaked, however. The other pockets were completely dry. She pulled out her tank top and shoes and, kneeling down on the ground, quickly put the wet shoes. "Do you want your tank-top?" Alex called. "I'm putting on mine; we don't want to provoke Jareth to do anything rash, now do we?"

"I don't think I'll be able to put it on," came the quiet response. Finished tying up the laces, and hurriedly pulling the tank top over her head, Alex stood and peered at Adrian. Her sister was huddled on a rock, shivering, holding her shoulder as tears rolled silently down her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" Alex exclaimed, scooping up the backpack and going closer.

"I'm not going to be able to put on my tank top," Adrian sniffed. "And I don't think I'll be able to carry the backpack for a while." She removed her hand from her shoulder, allowing Alex to see what lay beneath.

"Your shoulder's dislocated?" Alex shrieked, kneeling down as she gazed in revulsion at the protruding joint. "Damn. This isn't good." Adrian sobbed in response. "Do you know how to fix it?" Alex gasped, not at all surprised when Adrian shook her head. "What are we going to do then?"

They were Underground, in the Middle of Nowhere, Goblin Kingdom; the sun was moving steadily downward; Adrian was now injured; and that bloody excuse for a king had taken four and a half hours off of their run time; in short, they were screwed. "We're _seriously_ doing _this_ for the freaking _Jacksons_?" Alex seethed, kneeling next to Adrian's bare feet and slipping the socks and boots onto her sister's feet. "Can you walk?" she asked, tightening the laces and knotting them.

"It's my shoulders, not my legs, dumbass," Adrian breathed. "We should keep moving; I have no idea where we are, and we don't have much time left."

"Let me worry about the Run," Alex stated firmly, helping Adrian to her feet. "You just keep that bone from coming out any farther, got it? 'Kay, let's head this way."

"I've never seen you like this before," Adrian giggled shakily, allowing Alex to lead her into the forest. "You're fierce and commanding."

"That's because I am PISSED," Alex snapped, keeping her hand on Adrian's elbow to steady her. "Jareth's gonna get a hefty piece of my mind if he shows his rat face around here, the bastard."

"Wow, Alex, censor a little," Adrian chuckled shallowly.

"Trust me, that was censored," Alex flashed. "Next time I see Jareth, _that_ won't be censored." They continued to hike through the trees, Alex hoping they'd be able to find something to help Adrian.

* * *

><p>"There's a light over there," Alex remarked about twenty minutes later. The sun was setting, and shadows were falling over the trees, granting an ominous air to the scenery. There was a flickering yellow light shining through the trees ahead of them, shining much more brightly than the dimming sunlight. Adrian was growing weaker; they were covering less ground, and her breathing was becoming shallower, her face becoming paler. She constantly looked like she was seconds away from fainting.<p>

"It's fine, Alex," Adrian assured weakly. "Remember what happened when Bilbo and the dwarves followed the lights? They ended up in Thranduil's dungeon for hell knows how long." She gasped as a wave of pain wracked her shoulder. "We don't have to stop, I'll be fine," she squeaked, biting her lip as the throbbing eased slightly. "Come with Sméagol; don't follow the lights," she rasped, smiling sadly. She was shivering in her sports bra.

"No," Alex growled decidedly. "We are checking this place out. You're not going to get much farther with your shoulder like that, and even if we can't get help fixing it, at least we need a safe place to sit for a couple of minutes." A distant tapping noise came from the trees to their right, and both girls froze. "We don't know what kinds of creatures are lurking out here; Fireys, maybe," Alex added as the noise died away. Resolved, Alex led Adrian off the main path and into the trees, making sure to pinpoint the direction in which the Castle lay.

Golden light filtered through the red and orange leaves of the trees as Alex plunged through the underbrush, clearing a path for Adrian. Every so often, they would hear the now terrifying tapping, and they would stop in their tracks until the sound dissipated. Even with these excruciating pauses, the flickering light was steadily getting closer, and it appeared to be firelight. The crisp scent of burning wood drifted on the breeze. The source of the smoke and light soon became visible through the trees; a large wooden cabin, structured delicately out of narrow wooden beams, most still covered in their original bark. There was a high arching roof, reminding Alex of an old European chapel. The wooden door was highly polished, and covered in intricately engraved designs of trees, vines, and animals. A well groomed path of smooth pebbles wove through a beautifully unorganized garden, which seemed to surround the entire dwelling. Smoke curled gracefully out of a smooth stone chimney. Flickering flames could be seen through the round, glassless windows. It perfectly reflected the aura of the forest that towered around it. I was so pretty that Alex was at first inclined to distrust it; things weren't always what they seemed in the Underground, that Alex knew well. But Adrian couldn't hang on much longer, that was also clear. They needed help, and this was the first legitimate house they had encountered. However, faced with the possibility of begging for the help of complete strangers, Alex froze up.

"It's okay," Adrian croaked behind her. "We need to keep moving. I will be fine."

Brought back to her senses, Alex shook her head and took a deep breath. "No, we need help, and I am going to get it," she said determinedly, stepping on the pebbled pathway. Almost instantaneously, a head popped up out of a bed of lavender. Alex jumped a foot in the air and shrieked in surprise, and she heard Adrian start back just behind her.

"Oh my goodness, I am so sorry!" a woman's voice exclaimed in an accent that was reminiscent of American Southern. He face was thin, pale, freckled, and elfin, and she had smooth, sleek hair the colour of honey that was pulled back in a loose braid. Sparkling green eyes squinted as the fey woman peered at the two girls. "Are you two Runners?"

"Yes," Alex confirmed quickly, pulling Adrian forward to stand beside her.

"Well, you're the cleverest ones I've ever seen," the woman drawled approvingly. "This is the faster way to come, but most people end up going straight through the junkyard… Oh my goodness, is he hurt?" she sidetracked as Adrian swayed, her face turning snow-white.

"She," Alex corrected automatically, struggling to hold Adrian upright. "My sister's shoulder is dislocated, can you help please?" she begged.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, my mistake; of course we can help," the woman stated crisply, hurrying forward and helping Alex support Adrian. "Clovis!" she hollered, wrapping a slender arm around Adrian's waist. "Clovis!"

"What, Nina?" a British sounding voice boomed back. The beautiful door swung open, revealing a tall lean man with half-moon spectacles resting on the bridge of a hawkish nose. Ebony hair was styled in a buzz cut, but besides that, he looked very much like a stereotypical Middle Earth elf.

"Ermagersh, punk Elrond," Adrian muttered, sounding more than a little pain-drunk, but apparently still trying to put a brave face on it.

"Clovis, there're two Runners here, one of them is really badly hurt… when did the injury happen sweetie?" she addressed Alex.

Alex thought back to Adrian crying after the cliff jump. "Almost an hour ago," she replied finally.

"And you've been Running all this time with your shoulder popped out?" the woman, Nina, gasped incredulously. "Come on, we'll get you inside. Doesn't this just beat all?"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Thank you to Mlle Fanfic Guest and Fireballmaddie for their favourites, follows, and reviews. Please review if you liked it or if you have any suggestions for improvements, and feel free to PM me with any questions! Thanks! -Tierney<strong>


	8. Hour Ten

**Author's Note: I do not own Labyrinth, as per usual, any songs below are owned by 3Oh!3 and Neon Hitch, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and LMFAO. I only own my OCs, and I most certainly do not own Tom Hiddleston. And as a fair warning, Alex gets a wee bit pissed off in this chapter, so there may be a few extra curse words than usual. **

10

"Okay, sweetie, this is going to hurt, but this is going to help it feel better, alright?" Nina crooned.

The Fey couple had brought the two girls inside, and Adrian was now lying limply on the cleared wooden table in the centre of the main room. Clovis was flipping madly through a large leather bound book entitled _Magic and Remedy: A Guide to Repairing Human Injury_. "So, Adrian, we're going to be using both magic and traditional fey and human methods to try to get your shoulder back into place and repair your joint," Clovis explained, hazel eyes scanning the pages.

As Clovis continued to explain the process, Alex's eyes flickered around the cabin's interior. The golden glow of the sunset streamed through the large windows and flowed over the room's occupants. The furniture in the room was simple, carved out of beautifully curved pieces of wood. Two chairs rested beside a blazing fireplace on the far left, with a small wooden footrest sitting halfway between them. A kitchen occupied the edge of the room on the right, a simple space with a few cupboards and quite a bit of counter workspace. Pots and pans hung from hooks above an old-fashioned wood-burning stove. Directly across from the cabin's front door, another door stood, most likely leading into a bedroom. All other remaining wall space was devoted to books. Wherever there was room, shelves had been neatly carved into the wooden walls, reaching from the hardwood floor up to the beams of the arched roof. Every shelf was packed with neat rows of volumes, but there were also books stacked on the floor by the chairs, on the kitchen counter, and on the large wooden chest that stood against the wall perpendicular to the fireplace. Alex would have been willing to bet her bank account that there were volumes inside the chest as well.

"Alex?" a voice brought her out of her daze with a jolt. Nina and Clovis were both staring at her, amusement blatantly obvious on their exotic faces.

"Sorry," Alex muttered, blushing as she tried to meet the gazes of their hosts.

"You love books, do you not?" Clovis asked gently. Alex nodded and smiled. He laughed delightedly. "So do we! Nina and I are quite the bibliophiles; scholars and researchers, if you will." He directed his attention back to Adrian. "Do you have a sufficient understanding of what we are about to try?"

Adrian took a deep breath and winced. "Certainly," she replied, gritting her teeth. "Alex, I don't want you to be in here when they do this."

"What?" Alex raged. "I am not leaving you to do this alone!"

"Yes you are. I'm not sure how much good I'm going to be during the Run after this, so you need to be completely calm and in control of yourself. I'm not going to have you risking your mental stability to give me moral support that I can deal just fine without," Adrian snapped. "I love you, but stop bitching and get out of the fricking house."

"She's right, Alexandra," Nina added calmly. "The only help you can be to Adrian at the moment is to be completely focused on the Run."

"Okay," Alex sighed, admitting defeat and turning to head out the door.

"Alexandra!" Clovis called after her sharply, causing her to stop and turn back to face him. "Stay in the garden, and do not go off of the path or into the forest," he warned. "It is not uncommon for Fireys to be lurking, but our enchantments will keep them out of those boundaries."

Alex shivered and nodded in agreement.

"We will call you when we're finished," Nina assured, not taking her attention off Adrian. Alex opened the door and stepped out into the garden.

And not far away, Jareth smiled as he watched Alexandra in his crystal. He had a visit to make.

* * *

><p>A soft warm breeze ruffled Alex's hair and drifted softly across the back of her neck. Her hair had dried after the lake excursion, and she pulled out the ponytail, allowing the brown locks to tumble down her back. The pebbles crunched beneath her sneakers as she strolled through the jumbled flowerbeds. Plants grew in large and small patches throughout the garden, arranged without any apparent rhyme or reason, but cultivated so beautifully that the disorder did not seem to matter. There were some in the garden that Alex recognized; lavender, wisteria, foxglove, and violets. Gorgeously violent magenta peonies, appearing not to give a damn about the season, blossomed against a leafy emerald green backdrop, shining in the light of the setting sun. Herbs stood proudly next to the front door: thyme, mint, rosemary, and sage. Kneeling down on the path, Alex reached out a gentle fingertip to stroke a bluebell blossom. As her finger blushed against the petals, it swung back on its delicate green stem and emanated a soft, twinkling peal. Alex ginned at the flower in wonder, and gingerly prodded it a second time, causing it to ring once more. Names in the Underground appeared to be quite literal. She stood and continued her exploration.<p>

Next to a bed of dirt on the edge of the garden, Alex stopped again, being careful to stay fully on the path. She crouched down, staring curiously at a deep azure flower, which was covered in a twisting gold design. It had many layers of petals, almost like a rose, except that the petals of this particular specimen were more sharply pointed. There was no flower like this Aboveground, of that Alex was certain. Absentmindedly, she began humming to herself, running a fingertip down the blossom's ebony stem. She paused for breath, but froze. Her notes were being echoed, and the source seemed to be the plant. The ghostly notes died away. After a moment's hesitation, Alex quietly sang the chorus of the song she had been humming. When she had finished, the melody was repeated. Alex laughed. The strange flower was unmistakably humming "Follow Me Down" by 3Oh!3 and Neon Hitch. Her song selection was humorously appropriate for the situation and Alex couldn't help but giggle. She tried a simple scale, which the flower replicated perfectly. When she sang Christine's part for "Angel of Music", it responded with Meg's melody. Deciding to stray from the classical, Alex hit upon a perfect idea: a song that matched the ego of a certain Fey. She paused for a moment, and then began to rap.

"Yep, when I walk on by, girls be looking like damn he fly! I pimp to the beat, walking on the street in my new la freak, yeah…"

The plant began to produce characteristic synthesizer noises and quick beat, though LMFAO was completely foreign to the magical flower.

"This is how I roll; animal print, pants outta control," Alex, past all caring at this point, bounced to her feet and started dancing. "It's that dude with the big afro, and like Brue Leroy I got the glow…"

* * *

><p>Jareth, standing shadowed in the trees a few feet away, watched Alexandra's uninhibited display with amusement. It was clear from the way she had conversed with the <em>melodia<em> that she was musically gifted; the Musician's Rose would not harmonize for just anyone. In fact, the only person it had ever harmonized for had been him; at least that he had heard of. The plant seemed to be replicating Alexandra's music perfectly, though Jareth had never heard such sounds in his entire existence. It was wild and outlandish, yet strangely compelling; he could not make up his mind about whether he liked it. Lyrics were flying out of Alexandra's mouth so fast that he only caught a couple of words. As the bridge began, her pace slowed, and he was able to hear what she was singing.

"When I walk in the spot, yeah, this is what I see, ok; everybody stops and they're staring at ME! I got passion in my pants and I ain't afraid to show it, show it, show it, show it…"

Her voice trailed off, and Jareth waited in a confused state of expectation as the music built up. Alexandra put her hands on her hips and flipped back her loose chocolaty hair in a move that would have driven many of young fey noblemen quite wild. "I'm sexy and I know it!" she trilled, and continued dancing. Jareth decided that her performance had gone on quite enough. Snapping his fingers, he vanished in a puff of glitter.

* * *

><p>Her new musical companion was cranking out the LMFAO perfectly. Alex was unable to resist trying out the shuffling skills that she had been taught by one of her classmates at the end of grade nine… <em>that<em> had been a memorable year. She was halfway through a turn when she heard the voice. "My, my, what an impressively outlandish routine!" mused a low, snarky voice. Alex yelped and stumbled, and the flower fell silent. Picking herself up off the ground, she squinted into the growing shadows, the blazing rim of the sun blinding her. But as the sun dipped lower, the bright beams became blocked by the towering trees, and she was able to see her companion quite clearly. Jareth leaned against a tree a metre away. Alex shrieked.

Of course it was Jareth, Alex groaned inwardly. The Goblin King always managed to make an appearance when she was at her most uninhibited, and had an uncanny ability to bring out her clumsy streak. This, she seethed to herself, was why she never sang or danced in public! At least the last two times, Adrian had been with her to ease the awkwardness, if only slightly. She looked at the door of the cottage hopefully out of the corner of her eye, but no one emerged. They were still busy attending to Adrian.

Jareth tilted his head to one side and smiled, his feathery hair perfectly framing his pale face. "Firey got your tongue?" he inquired snidely.

Alex rolled her eyes, wishing that Adrian was with her to come up with a good comeback. Sighing, she squared her shoulders and steeled her resolve; if Adrian could endure a dislocated shoulder during what was essentially a marathon, Alex could handle a conversation with the Goblin King. "Nah, but they appear to have gotten away with all your practical attire," she quipped cheerfully, smirking. She mentally high-fived herself; the Goblin King had just been OWNED. And for once, it had been an original.

Jareth's lip curled. "You have quite the attitude, don't you?" he grinned, a note of warning concealed under his accent.

"Adrian's worse…" Alex giggled, but trailed off as she realized she wasn't really talking about being sassy. Turning her head, she stared deeply into Jareth's eyes, glaring. She crossed her arms over her chest. Adrian. Oh boy, the Goblin King was about to get a tongue lashing he wouldn't forget in a hurry.

Jareth was feeling slightly disconcerted. The amount of anger in Alexandra's eyes surpassed anything her had seen before. Her deep brown eyes, which had been so amused just moments before, were now shooting sparks.

"You. Son. Of. A. Bitch," Alex spat each word venomously, letting her fury roll off her tongue.

Jareth's eyes narrowed. "Is that any way to address a King?" he hissed angrily.

Alex's eyes widened, and she took a deep breath. "How many times do I have to tell you, I DON'T CARE!" she shouted. "What kind of king tries to kill teenage girls?" She gestured angrily at the house behind her. "My twin sister is going through hell because of you, and if whatever they're doing to fix it doesn't work, she could lose her arm!" Adrian losing her arm was most likely improbable, but Alex was too angry care about accuracy. Underneath the rush of fury, Alex was aware of a steady pulse of satisfaction. For the first time in her life, she was allowing her emotions to boil over instead of seething in silence. She was screaming louder than she ever had in her life, and it felt fantastic.

"Why in the Underground would she lose her arm?" Jareth snapped. "A fall into a lake couldn't do that much damage."

"Water is like concrete - rock, if you've never seen concrete - from height like that, and she was already injured, dumb ass!" Alex raged.

Jareth fell silent. He had seen that the boyish one was injured, but he had not predicted that it would be so serious.

"I've said my piece," Alex snarled. "Get out of here before you cuss up her other shoulder too. You have no power over…"

Suddenly Jareth lunged forward and, grabbing Alex's wrists, yanked her forward, and slammed her against a tree. _Déjà vu_, she thought sourly as she shrieked. "What the cuss, dude?!" Clovis' warnings about leaving the safety of the garden were flashing through her mind with painful clarity, and she was now well off the path, thanks to Jareth. "You jerk, now I've broken a promise!" she yelped indignantly. Jareth ignored her comment.

He brought his face close to hers, staring into her eyes. "What were you about to say?" he hissed. All Alex could think of was how pissed off he looked, and she didn't reply. "What were you going to say?" he repeated dangerously.

Alex knew she should reply. Swallowing nervously, she squeaked, "You have no power over me?"

"Say it again."

_What the cuss_? Alex thought, but as he was clearly in the position of control, she felt she should humor him. "Um, you have no power over me?" It was more of a question than a statement of fact. As the last word crossed her lips, she became aware that Jareth's face was uncomfortably close to hers, and the pressure on her shoulders, which were being held firmly against the trunk, was tightening. And then he kissed her.

Alex's mind felt like it was short-circuiting. Jareth was kissing her! If this was a fanfic, she would be kissing back or something, and then things would quickly escalate. His lips were still pressed against her own. In her numbed state, she registered the taste of peach. Damn.

Taking advantage of her free hand, Alex slapped the Goblin King squarely across the face. He jerked away, holding his stinging cheek and staring at her in disbelief. The confident part of her mind cheered: the points stood 2 to 1 in her favour. "You stole my first kiss, you jerk!" she screamed, backing away towards the safe haven of the garden.

"Would you like it back?" Jareth purred, stalking towards her and trying to ignore his throbbing cheek.

"It doesn't work that way, idiot!" she screeched, continuing to move toward the garden as her confident brain cells egged on her insults. A distant _tap-tap-tap_ reached her ears, and she froze.

Jareth stared at her curiously. She too could obviously recognize the Fireys' signals. "Why are you so angry?" he asked abruptly. Alexandra glared at him.

"Do you want a full list or a condensed version?" she shot back, crossing her arms tightly.

"I believe a full summary would be best," he remarked as he summoned two chairs with a snap of his fingers. "Please, sit," he requested, in a tone gentler than his previous. "Your sister's healing with take long enough for us to have a cordial discussion."

Huffing, Alex plopped down on the stone seat, still glaring furiously at the Goblin King. The tension in the air was thick enough to be cut with a knife. "Well?" Jareth demanded as the silence lengthened. "What exactly have I done to cause such fury?"

Alex's brown eyes narrowed dangerously. "Number one," she began, holding up her index finger as she prepared to count the reasons. "You took away my cousins."

"I am not at fault there; _you_ wished them away," Jareth interjected smoothly.

"Number two, I asked you to give them back, and you wouldn't," Alex snapped. "Don't you _dare_ mention what's said is said!" she added irately as Jareth's mismatched eyes glinted mischievously.

"I would not dream of it. Nevertheless, I gave you what you wanted; a break from those demons!" He swung his shapely legs up over the edge of his chair and tapped his riding crop against his boot. Alex bit her lip and averted her eyes, trying to avoid a fangirl meltdown. "I do not blame you in the slightest; your cousins are rude, demanding, treat you terribly, and curse worse than gutter trolls. And as I have met such individuals in Eamon's kingdom, I can attest to that fact." His voice grew more irritated as his statement progressed.

"Who's Eamon?" Alex piped up, looking back up interestedly. Jareth frowned.

"He is the ruler of the Troll Kingdom," Jareth explained shortly.

"OOO! Are there other Underground Kings currently on the market?" Alex chirped excitedly. My, oh my, Adrian would be excited to hear about this particular development.

"There are seven other rulers, four other kings and three queens," Jareth clarified, looking very regretful about the unexpected sidetrack of conversation.

"But are they on the market?" Alexandra repeated, her grin turning decidedly impish.

"Whatever the case," Jareth began, ignoring her question, "I have never met two children more deserving of becoming goblins than those two." He stared fiercely into her eyes.

"That's not the point," Alex said cuttingly, trying to wrestle her growing amusement back under her prevailing irritation. "Number three, you pushed us off a cliff."

"Again, you jumped off, therefore I am not a fault," Jareth interrupted. "But please, do continue," he added charmingly as Alex shot daggers from her eyes.

Alex took a deep, calming breath, swallowing the four letter word she was considering tossing out at the Goblin King. "Number four," she continued. "You took four and a half hours off our time."

"I replaced an hour and a half back on the clock, if you would care to confirm," Jareth smirked, waving his gloved hand dismissively at the clock that magically appeared in the air.

Alex gaped at him, her mouth hanging open. "You- you did?" she stuttered finally. Jareth shrugged and gestured for her to continue, looking pleased with her reaction. Alex recalled her previous anger and pressed on. "Number five, you have severely invaded my personal space; not once, but _twice_," she emphasised, pulling her hair back into a high ponytail as she spoke.

Jareth's lips curled. "No, no comments from you," Alex glared at him, and he laughed. "Number six," she resumed, unwilling to allow Jareth to best her. "You refuse to talk to Adrian, look at Adrian, or acknowledge that Adrian exists."

"You wished away the children, therefore you are the true Runner in this little scenario of ours," Jareth shrugged. "As such, it is only fair that the role of heroine would fall to you."

An expression of disgust crossed Alex's face. "So, being called by my full name, getting an inordinate amount of attention, and being inappropriately accosted automatically makes me a heroine?"

"Forgive me, but I was under the impression that was what you wanted, was it not?" Jareth questioned, only slightly condescendingly. "An adventure? A starring role? Dare I say, romance?" He raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"You stole my first kiss, you jerk," Alex hissed softly, looking away.

"Does that count as number seven, dearest?" Jareth inquired silkily.

"Sure, why not," Alex growled.

"Why would that be a bad thing?"

Alex glared at him with such fury in her eyes that she was slightly surprised that he did not burst into flame. "I've never been kissed in my life; I would have preferred my first to be a mutual encounter, rather than an apparent attempt to piss me off," she seethed.

Jareth shrugged, the smirk still plastered across his face. "So you did not enjoy it…. Not even in the slightest?" he leaned forward, his elbow resting on the arm of the chair. Alex blushed. "I will take that to mean that you did, in fact, enjoy it," Jareth purred, relaxing back into his seat. "If you had not, you would not be blushing so prettily."

From previous experience, Alex knew that her blushes caused her face to instantaneously turn a brilliant crimson and an inability to maintain a neutral expression; it was anything but pretty. What would Adrian be calling Jareth at this point? Lying syncophant? Or perhaps pompous douche bag; it was difficult to match Adrian's creativity when it came to insults. "Okay, listen," Alex began awkwardly. "It's not like I don't think you're attractive, and that you don't kiss well, cause you totally do, to be honest; you're the Goblin King for heaven's sakes, you've got an entire fangirl following… but if you think that I'm just going to let you use me as a replacement or something, you've got the wrong girl," she finished quickly.

Jareth tilted his head to one side, frowning. "Whatever do you mean, Alexandra?" _There_ was an expression she had never seen on the Goblin King before: perplexed.

"Um, well, um…." Alex stammered. _Oh what the heck; spit it out_, her snarky subconscious hissed. "Well, I'm not going to play understudy to Sarah Williams," she rushed finally.

Jareth started back as if he had been shot. He seemed to have lost his ability to speak, because his mouth kept opening, but no words emerged. _Oh shoot_, Alex thought. "I think that you've got a Sarah Williams-shaped hole inside you somewhere, and trust me buddy, I'm not the one to fill it," she added after a long silence. Jareth still did not reply. "Maybe we should just move on… this seems to be a touchy subject…" Alex suggested hesitatingly.

"That would be best," Jareth managed at last. His voice was raspy, as if he was trying to keep his emotions under control. Alexandra had hit a sore subject; sore being the lightest way to describe it. He had not seen Sarah since she had spoken the six words that had ruined his life. Not face to face anyway; occasionally he had been able to see her through his crystals. He didn't even know if she still remembered him, but he never stopped thinking about her for even a minute. When he looked up, the Goblin King caught Alexandra staring at him with obvious concern. "Please, continue," he indicated smoothly, willing his face to assume its usual expression of smug indifference. From the look in her eyes, Jareth could tell she wasn't buying it, but she did not object.

"Number eight," she continued slowly. It was hard to figure out reasons to be angry when he looked so hurt. "There haven't been any musical numbers yet!" she shouted, hitting on a flash of inspiration.

Jareth's face morphed from sadness to incredulity in an instant. "What?"

Alex grinned broadly. "You haven't done any singing yet," she clarified.

Jareth's lips twitched. "Do you honestly think I would waist my energy performing for two children who couldn't care less?" he teased lightly.

Giggling, Alex replied, "I think that Adrian and I would have heart attacks out of sheer excitement if you started dancing." There was a pause. "Did you know that every time Tom Hiddleston starts dancing, a kitten is born?"

"Who is Tom Hiddleston?" Jareth asked curiously.

"A fellow idol," Alex sighed, resting her chin on her hand and staring into the woods. "Dreamed of by fangirls everywhere."

Jareth frowned. He was a King; this Hiddles could not possibly have anything on him. "This Hiddle… is he also royalty?"

"Former prince of Asgard and the God of Mischief," Alex winked. "What can I say; fangirls love the bad boys!"

"Is that why these 'fangirls' love me?" Jareth purred.

"Shut up," Alex snapped. "Number nine, where is the food in this place?"

Jareth gave his trademark feral smile and pulled a crystal out of his black cloak, rolling it back and forth over his fingertips before tossing it to Alex. "Take this."

The clear sphere flew in a smooth, clean arch through the air. Alex reached up to catch it, only to have the orb promptly shoot over her shoulder. Alex bit her lip to hold back a curse. She stood and walked over to where it had landed, but the crystal had disappeared. Behind her, Jareth laughed. "Looking for this, sweetheart?" Turning back to face him, Alex saw that another crystal slid across his palm.

"Is that the same crystal?" Alex huffed, putting her hands on her hips as she sat back down. "Or are you just messing with me?"

"Either way, the first crystal is no longer there, and I am offering you exactly the same thing," Jareth smirked. "Let's try this again." He tossed the crystal again. Alex cupped her hands as her eyes followed the crystal's path and, lo and behold! The crystal flew right into her palms. "You don't trust yourself," Jareth commented suddenly. Alex raised her eyebrows at him. "You appear to be highly athletic, therefore highly in control of yourself; a lack of coordination could only be attributed to a lack of confidence," he finished his explanation.

"Whatever," Alex rolled her eyes. She had neither the time nor the energy to consider his theory; she was more considered with the issue of _getting out of this place alive_ than her reflexes. Examining the crystal, she found that it was smooth, completely unblemished in fact, and clear as ice. It seemed to pulse with its own energy, a gentle, rhythmic throbbing that warmed her hands. "What is this for?" she wondered, looking up at the Goblin King. Jareth merely nodded at her hands. Directing her attention back to her lap, Alex gasped. As she watched, the crystal shimmered, and Alex felt a surge of heat. The colour clouded, becoming almost sunset-like colour, and she could feel it changing shape under her fingertips. There was a sudden ripple in the air around her hands, like a heat wave, and when it finally dissipated, she held…

"A PEACH!?" Alex shrieked, almost dropping said fruit as she recoiled back into her seat.

"It's a present," Jareth stated flatly, holding back a smile.

"That much I have, in fact, gathered; thanks though," Alex said sarcastically. She glowered at him in silence for a moment. "You keep inadvertently quoting, and it's giving me déjà vu," she accused.

"What exactly am I quoting?" Jareth asked.

"Previous conversations," Alex explained, chuckling. "'_It's a present'_? That's what you told Hoggle."

"I do not remember saying such a thing," Jareth stated. "But I suppose we can label that number ten: inadvertent repetition of previous dialogue." Alexandra laughed. She was starting to warm up to him, that was obvious. "How are you able to know what I have said in the past?" Jareth questioned. "I did notice that you were screaming phrases in the tunnel that I had told…" His voice trailed off. He had promised himself he would not mention _her_, yet he almost had.

"It's difficult to explain," Alex picked up the lull in conversation hurriedly, for which Jareth was grateful. "Let's just say the Underground has a cultish following." Jareth inferred that Sarah had not been completely secretive concerning her adventures. "There're books, manga novels, and a movie about this place," Alex simplified.

"I fail to see how that would provoke you to anger," Jareth mused.

"Déjà vu freaks me out. I start thinking I'm in the Matrix or something," Alex groaned. "Eleven: you make me clumsy."

Jareth made rebuking clucking noises. "Oh no, dear Alexandra, you did that entirely on your own," he said in a mocking tone.

"So it's just _coincidence_ that I injure myself every time you show up?" Alex mocked back. "I don't know about you, but usually people don't just run into trees for no apparent reason."

"Or jump off cliffs," Jareth added.

"Or jump off cliffs," Alex agreed. She stared at him thoughtfully for a moment, and then swiftly proposed, "And for heaven's sakes man, cut your hair!" When Jareth simply stared at her mutely, she added, "That can be number twelve."

"Why, exactly?"

Alex gave a dark smile, and Jareth sat up straight in his chair, quite interested in her sudden change of expression. "Because it's freakishly long, of course!" she proclaimed dramatically. She followed this statement with a howl of laughter. "No, no; I'm kidding; don't cut your hair," she retracted her previous statement with a choking fit of merriment.

Jareth amusedly inquired, "May I ask the reason for this sudden change of heart?"

Alex chuckled. "Quite honestly?" Jareth nodded. "You look sexy with long hair," Alex admitted shyly. The Runner and the Goblin King gazed at each other in a companionable silence. Jareth could feel Alexandra's resolve slipping; he estimated that in a couple of minutes, she would forget entirely about the Run, and maybe she would even take him up on the offer he had in mind…

The silence was shattered by a scream. The high pitched shriek rose in tones that could only be Adrian's. The sound of her sister's pain jolted Alex back into reality; they were still Running, and Jareth was still their Adversary. Now was not the time to be fraternizing with the enemy. She bolted to her feet without a second thought.

"Number thirteen," she shot, her previous anger completely restored. "You make my sister scream like _that_." Before she could turn away, Jareth raised one perfect eyebrow and gave his most smoldering smirk of the day. It was then she suddenly realized the potential connotations of her words. "Oh, wow, um… I mean, um… you hurt my sister and now she's screaming in pain," Alex floundered as Jareth looked on, completely entertained. "Damn it, you pervert," Alex spat, before turning and bolting back into the cabin.

Jareth rose to his feet and stretched, giving a wide, catlike yawn. The sun was below the horizon; the sky was now black as pitch. If all went as planned, this was not all the time Alexandra would lose; distraction, after all, was his specialty. Maybe he could end up with two new goblins after all.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Thank you all for reading, please take a moment to review or PM me if you have any questions, comments, or other such constructive criticism. Thanks! -Tierney<strong>


	9. Hour Eleven

**Author's Note: I still do not own Labyrinth, I only own my OCs. **

Hour 11

"Good luck, girls!" Nina called, waving a scarf in the air as the two Runners started on their way. Clovis yelled similar encouragement as Adrian and Alex jogged into the shadowed trees, screaming their thanks. Night had fallen, and the strange Underground stars twinkled brightly above them. Thanks to their Fey patrons, they were adequately equipped for night travel; Clovis had given them a small but bright fey lantern; a strange looking Underground compass that always faced the Goblin City; and a charm stone that would repel Fireys, Junk People, and other such nuisances – everything except the Goblin King, as there wasn't much magic that could work against _him_. Adrian's right arm was bound in a sling, tightly secured to her chest. As it was still unwise to raise her arm above her head, Nina had provided Adrian with a surprisingly normal looking black shirt that had one sleeve for her left arm, wrapped around her chest, and was tied just above her right hip. The sports bra saved the right side of her chest from any indecency, and the combination of pink and black actually looked rather stylish. It was made of a light, smooth material that could have been silk, but the fashion-savvy Adrian had diagnosed that this was not the case. Adrian's smiling face was still stained with tears.

"So," Adrian began after a half an hour of silence, taking a glance at Alex out of the corner of bloodshot eyes. "You seem awfully quiet. What'd you do in the garden?"

"Shuffled... and chatted with the Goblin King," Alex stated off-handedly.

"Oh, that's nice," Adrian said absently. "Shuffling as in the dancing? And then… hold on…" Her eyes bulged. "Holy mother, Goblin King?" she shrieked. "Did he give you anything?"

"Yeah, actually…" Alex trailed off as she stared at the fruit still clutched in her hand. She held it up for Adrian to see.

"AWWWW SHHIIIIIIITTT!" screamed Adrian. "Ermagersh, you have to eat it!"

"What about the Run? And not eating gifts?" Alex protested dubiously.

Adrian tilted her chin forward, and Alex, upon glancing in the indicated direction, saw that the mountain of the Goblin City towered above them. "The gate's right there," Adrian commented, pointing. "We've got a little time; besides, I'll keep watch and wake you up if you take too much time."

"That's not fair!" Alex objected. "Why should I take the potential hallucination when you don't get anything?"

"You say that so often; I wonder what your basis for comparison is," Adrian chuckled. "Certainly it's fair; Jareth gave the peach to you."

"Are you sure?" Alex asked uncertainly, staring at the peach.

"Yes."

"Okay then…" Alex sighed. They sat down next to a tall oak from which they could clearly see the Castle walls, but hid them from view. At Adrian's command, Alex took a hesitant bite of the peach, chewed, and swallowed. Almost immediately, the world started spinning. "Everything's dancing," Alex stuttered, and passed out, heralded by Adrian's peals of hysterical laughter.

* * *

><p>She was standing in a strange room, surrounded by a crowd of people she didn't recognize. A soft twinkling melody played enticingly in her ears, though Alex had no idea where the music was coming from. She took a glance down her body and stared in confusion. She was wearing a dress; a carnation pink gown that had a tight, fitted bodice and a reasonably frothing skirt that billowed out at her waist. The whole dress was beaded in swirling patterns of small pink pearls, and there were long tight sleeves that tapered at her wrists, and a sweetheart neckline. Her shoulders were uncovered. <em>If your hair feels like it's over the top, it probably is<em>, a voice echoed in the back of her mind. Frowning, she reached up a hand to her hair. Her fingers met the smooth, silky locks on the top of her head, but as she slid down, she encountered a cascade of curls held back by a silk ribbon. Yep; definitely over the top. She took a step forward and the fabric of her skirt rustled. Alex wondered what fabric it could be; Adrian would know. Where was her sister, anyway? She set off through the crowd to find her fellow Runner.

Pushing through the groups of revellers, Alex continued her search, but she was starting to become more concerned with figuring out what was going on than finding Adrian. She turned the right, the crowd suddenly parted, and she spotted a tall, stately figure on the far side. He wore tight black pants, a puffy white shirt, and a high collared coat inlaid with gold and rubies. A gold pendant hung around his neck, and feathery blonde hair framed a frightening crimson mask. As she watched, he lowered the mask. _Jareth_, Alex's thoughts spun, and she bolted in the opposite direction. The other guests laughed and danced as Alex ducked under outstretched arms and slid between couples with a surprising level of accuracy. Every so often, she would turn and see the Goblin King watching her intently from the middle of a group of dancers. Their eyes would meet, Alex would duck back into the fray, and Jareth would grin in undisguised amusement. She was trying so hard to evade him, and the sight of her curled brown mane whisking out of sight just seemed to make him laugh.

Eventually, as she wormed her way to the edge of the elegant white ballroom, she paused, glancing from side to side nervously. As much as she was attempting to flee, she secretly hoped he would catch her. An array of crystal flutes stood like soldiers on a silver platter, each glass full to the brim with a pale orange liquid. It looked and smelled divine, but Alex brushed aside her thirst; she had read enough myths, legends, and fairy tales to know that such pretty objects were not to be trusted. She ran her fingers lightly over her hair and peered around. More than one couple was engage in promiscuous looking activity, which only heightened Alex's sense of being completely and totally out of place. She didn't belong here. Noticing that the wall behind her was a mirror, she examined her reflection curiously. The pale pink of her dress made her hands look even more of a tanned olive tone than usual. Who had decided that pink was a good idea? Wasn't this her hallucination? Didn't she get to choose the colours? Alex narrowed her eyes and thought hard for a moment. With a shimmer, the colour morphed from carnation to obsidian. She nodded at herself contentedly. Only the colour had changed, and she looked much more regal, less like a little girl. Alex wore black, Sarah had worn white; the two girls were different as night and day. Maybe Jareth would be more inclined to accept this fact if fashion was involved.

She shook her head and sighed, and then looked back up. The Goblin King was standing right in front of her, smiling. Her mind screamed one of Adrian's most common expletives. He stepped forward and held out his hand, bowing graciously. Shyly, Alex slipped her hand into his. Quick as a flash, his other hand shot to her waist and pulled her closer, while her free hand rested on his chest. Almost instantaneously, her father's dance training kicked into high gear and she instinctively locked her elbows, ensuring that Jareth was unable to pull her any closer. Jareth didn't fight her, merely leading her onto the dance floor. They twisted and twirled, Alex's feet moving beneath her in a complicated pattern that she wouldn't be able to replicate if she tried. All the while, the Goblin King's unearthly eyes held her own in an enchanting stare. After a time, Alex realized that her arms had relaxed, and she was a lot closer to Jareth than she had been. What was even more surprising was that she didn't at all mind. The Goblin King spun Alex outward, and then began twisting her arms, both the girl and the monarch spinning over and under as the tempo of the music sped up. It reminded Alex of the "octopus" move from jive, except that this was much more graceful, and she found herself giggling furiously.

As the music slowed, she was turned back into the arms of the Goblin King. His feline face was mere inches from her own, his mismatched ice blue eyes drilling into hers. She barely had time to register his proximity before he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her close, and gently kissed her lips. Her thoughts fell completely and utterly silent. Her hands, resting on his chest, gently pushed him back, pulling away from the kiss. "Don't," she whispered. "I already told you, I'm not a replacement for Sarah." She tried to extract herself from his embrace, but his iron grip made no allowances.

"Exactly," Jareth purred softly. "You are not Sarah." His thin lips curled as Alex stared at him in shock. "You are Alexandra. An original, not a replacement." He leaned forward and once again captured her mouth with his. Lost in a state of utter calm, Alex slid her hands up over his shoulders and around his neck, melting into his arms. Jareth's arms held her tighter and tilted his head, deepening the kiss. Alex responded in kind. They remained in this position for what seemed like forever to Alex, but forever was not long enough. Suddenly…

"Okay, that's quite enough of _that_. What is this, porn?"

A laughing disembodied voice echoed throughout the ballroom. Alex broke off the kiss abruptly, looking around wildly. She looked at Jareth in confusion, but the wrath gleaming in his eyes seemed to suggest that he didn't have an explanation. "Jareth…" Alex gasped.

There was a loud crack, and the ballroom shattered, the mirrored walls crashing down. Alex was pulled out of the Goblin King's arms, and fell down, down, down as the illusion was scattered and absorbed by the darkness.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Thank you all for reading! Please review or PM if you have any questions, constructive criticism, or comments. Thanks! -Tierney<strong>


	10. Hour Twelve

**Author's Note: Not much longer now! I still do not own Labyrinth, and only claim my OCs. "Tik Tok" belongs to Ke$ha. **

Hour 12

"Come on Alex, wake up, you indolent ass! Get up!"

The nagging voice grated on Alex's ears. Groggily blinking as she came back to consciousness, she was faced with Adrian's wide brown eyes hovering over her. "Wake up!" Adrian spat, shaking Alex's shoulders roughly. A lantern sat on the ground next to her

Alex groaned. It was still dark out… what was Adrian thinking, waking her up this early? "Morning, Adrian," Alex yawned widely, sitting up and stretching her arms. "Why'd you wake me up? I was having the most fabulous dream; I was in this pretty pink dress… well, it was pink for a while, and then it looked terrible so I changed it to black… and Jareth was kissing me and…" She broke off suddenly, looking around in obvious confusion. "…Why the hell are we in the woods?" Trees rose high above them on all sides, and in the distance, Alex could see a proud stone wall and gate, about four hundred metres away.

"Are you serious?" Adrian snickered.

It was then that Alex noticed that she was tied to the tree she was sitting against. "Adrian, what on earth is going on?" she demanded, struggling against the cords, which Adrian untied with dexterous fingers.

Upon seeing the incredulous look on her sister's sleepy face, Adrian howled with laughter. "Oh my gosh, that peach made you so freaking HIGH!" Giggling hysterically, she took Alex's left hand and dragged her to her feet.

"What's with the backpack?" Alex asked. "And why is your arm in a sli… oh…"

In a flash, all of Alex's memories returned. Her brain quickly brought her up to speed; they were in the Underground, just outside the Goblin City, for the entirely questionable purpose of saving the Jackson boys from becoming goblins. "Finally!" Adrian exclaimed mockingly. "And we didn't even have to go through a replica of your bedroom!"

"How long was I under?" Alex questioned, taking the pack off of Adrian's left shoulder and trotting down the shadowed path. Her cheeks heated as her memories of the vision itself revealed themselves with perfect clarity.

Adrian, giving an audible sigh of relief, followed. "Almost an hour," she stated. "I woke you up because I figured we didn't have much time left to spare." She looked sideways at Alex, smirking. "Besides, I thought that you two had gone on quite enough."

Alex blushed furiously. Ducking quickly behind a bush, she surveyed the gate to the Goblin City. In the light of an iron torch bracketed to the wall, she saw that the small metal gate was guarded by a single goblin soldier, who was fast asleep. "Does he have that low of an opinion of us that he only thinks to station one guard at the gate?" Alex hissed.

"Want a real challenge then?" Adrian grinned. She led Alex down a narrow, nearly invisible path through the bushes, darting through the gloomy underbrush like a prison escapee, and finally stopped in another clump of trees some distance away from their previous position. Grinning, Adrian gestured towards the city. Alex let out a silence gasp.

Tall black oak gates – ten metres tall, at least - rose menacingly in the bone white stone of the wall. The wood was polished, reflecting the light of the vermillion torches, and carved with intricate Celtic knots, and the beautiful gates were firmly shut. The outlines of patrols of goblin militia marched along the top, armour clanking loudly. Alex looked at Adrian in disbelief. "I know; HOLY CRAP, right?" Adrian chuckled. "This is why I tied you to the tree; I did a little scouting while you were sleeping."

"You just DITCHED ME?" Alex quiet-screamed.

"Nothing happened!" Adrian balked. Alex shook her head disapprovingly at her sister and turned back to stare at the gate. "I watched the pattern of sentries; a group passes over the wall every twenty seconds exactly. It is two hundred metres to the Gate from here. We can bolt for it, or we can go by Sarah's-slash-the Coward's Way," Adrian pointed out.

"Let's do it."

"Okay then; just let me time it," Adrian warned. They paused for a moment, and a group of guards came into view. The soldiers trooped along the wall.

"On your marks."

The two girls knelt down in a track start position, Adrian using on her left arm to support her. The soldiers passed over the top of the doors.

"Set."

The soldiers passed along a curve and out of sight.

"GO!"

Alex and Adrian sprang forward, legs flying across the dirt road as they sprinted towards the arch. It was a close call; a group of soldiers passed directly overhead just as they reached the safety of the gateway. It was only by sheer luck that they hadn't been spotted. Alex reached out a hand gingerly to the black ring handle of one of the doors and gave it a firm tug. It did not budge. She tried again with more force, but to no avail. "We're going to have to climb," Adrian decided grimly, brown eyes already scanning the stone for possible handholds.

"Need I remind you, YOU ONLY HAVE ONE ARM?" Alex laughed savagely, her nervousness causing her to lash out at Adrian.

Her sister did not take the bait. "Well, then, you'll climb it and open the gate for me to follow," Adrian said calmly. "Or I can climb it with one arm, either or."

"Option one," Alex chuckled shallowly, and cautiously scooted out from under the arch and hoisted her body up onto the wall.

"Be careful!" Adrian squealed. "Oh gosh, Mom would have a heart attack if she saw this…"

The wide gaps in the large square stones made the climb easy enough; the main issues were the dark and the height. It was taller than Alex's house, possible taller than her school. She was grateful that Adrian kept her mouth shut and did not call out unhelpful advice, such as "don't look down". Her gratitude also extended to her sneakers, for being thin and light enough to grip the ledges without two much difficultly. Her arms and shoulders burned as she hauled herself up the wall, hand over hand. Briefly she wonder what would happen if she fell. Would she die? Of course she would, the height alone would kill her. But would Jareth allow it to happen? Would it be like Inception, and she would wake up in the "real world"? FOCUS! She hissed to herself, giving her chatty mind a slap. Two minutes later, she pulled herself up over the edge of the wall and onto the walkway – right into the path of an oncoming cohort.

The little green creatures, caught so off-guard by the sudden appearance of the girl, started backwards, weapons clanging as the later were dropped to the floor. One of the guards dropped their torch, and the flame spluttered out as it hit the cobblestones. "Shh! Shh!" Alex gestured urgently, smiling cheerfully. A few of the creatures smiled back, while others just looked confused. "Here!" Alex said quickly, swinging the backpack off her shoulders and reaching into the side pocket. She didn't have time to congratulate herself on completing such a treacherous climb whilst carrying a backpack. "Do you like jewellery?" she asked, pulling out a number of cheap little trinkets. The fake gems and metals glinted in the light of the remaining torches. The goblins gave little gasps of appreciation. Quickly, she handed each of the little minions a bauble. No one saw a dark little figure scurry down the stairs and out of sight. "Enjoy, and don't tell His Majesty I'm here, alright?" Alex chirped, using the same enthusiastic tone she used when talking to her other cousins and trotted down the stairs on the inside of the wall as the merry band saluted and continued on their way. Alex was not naïve enough to believe that the goblins would keep their word; they were not the most intelligent of beings, and this quality would betray her if fear of the Bog didn't first. She reached the ground quickly, and after a couple of minutes struggle, pulled open the heavy wooden door just enough to allow Adrian to squeeze through.

"What the hell took you so long?" Adrian huffed. "And you forgot Clovis' charm stone, by the way." She held up the smooth rock apologetically.

"Too late, I already ran into some goblins. I tried to bribe them, but Jareth will figure out we're here in the next thirty seconds if he hasn't already."

* * *

><p>"Your Majesty!"<p>

A short, round goblin in a ridiculously large helmet sprinted into the dark throne room. Jareth, illuminated by torchlight, was sitting at the foot of his throne, holding an unconscious Zach in his lap as he wielded a sharp pair of scissors. Ben, his head already shorn, lay dead to the world on the floor a short distance away, surveyed by a crowd of goblins. "Yes?" Jareth snapped impatiently as he snipped, another long chestnut lock dropping dejectedly to the stone floor. As the lock fell, the spectators cheered.

"Your Majesty!" the panting goblin repeated. "The girl!"

"What girl?" Jareth demanded, rolling his eyes as he continued evening out Zach's hair. The goblins' frequent use of fragments made conversation infuriating, and quite often impossible.

"The girl who ate the peach and forgot everything!"

"There are as of today two young women matching your incredibly vague description, therefore you are required to be more specific," Jareth stated icily, his thoughts drifting to Sarah against his will.

The little soldier swallowed nervously. "The girl who didn't go through the junkyard who has the girly twin brother!" he squeaked.

"Now that was not so hard, was it?" Jareth exclaimed sarcastically. "What of her?" he continued. There was a loud snip and more hair fell.

"The brother woke her up!" the goblin squealed. Jareth nodded impatiently, gesturing for him to continue. He already knew that the boyish one had woken Alexandra; he had been in the crystal ballroom, after all. He was still furious about the incident, as he had not even considered that the hallucination could be externally destroyed, which was the direct reason for his attack on the children's ridiculous hair. The goblin carried on. "And she's remembered everything, and she climbed up over the wall!"

"What?" Jareth roared, sitting bolt upright. Zach twitched, but did not wake up.

"She climbed over the main gate and opened the door for her brother and gave everyone jewels!" the goblin babbled. Jareth muttered a fey obscenity and savagely cut through another clump of curls. "What do we do? The girl is on her way to the Castle!" His question was met with silence. "Majesty?"

Jareth stared at the sentry, eyes slightly unfocused. "I suppose they must be stopped, mustn't they?" he muttered distractedly, as if to himself.

"Your orders, Majesty?"

Jareth gave a brisk shake of his head. "Mobilize the Castle Guard," he ordered crisply, his icy eyes once again steeled. "Stop them, and bring them to me. If Alexandra is harmed, you will all be Bogged, understood?"

The goblin hastily assented and scurried out of the throne room. After a sharp glance from their King, its fellows quickly followed. Within seconds, the throne room was completely empty, save for the king and the two unconscious children. Jareth sat in silence for a moment, relishing the novelty of stillness and calm. He sighed and completed Zach's transformation with a few quick snips of the scissors. Rising slowly to his feet, he held Zach under one arm, and scooped up Lucas with the other. Without even a single stumble from the weight of his burden, the Goblin King bounded up a narrow flight of stairs. He knew exactly where he was going to hide them.

* * *

><p>The streets of the Goblin City were shadowed and deserted, an unsurprising state considering that it was night. Adrian, running lightly on the balls of her feet, led the way through the narrow alleys silently as a ghost. Alex was almost as silent, except for the quiet thumps from the movement of the backpack. The two girls kept to the shadows, relying on their dark clothing to help camouflage them. They did not pause for even an instant, but moved stealthily towards the Castle.<p>

The Castle Beyond the Goblin City dwarfed the dwellings surrounding, so it was not at all difficult to find a route through the ironically maze-like streets directly to the courtyard and fountain that preceded the main entrance. Alex and Adrian bolted across the dangerously open space and up the shallow sandstone steps. They stopped in front of the gigantic doorway, and Alex turned back to look at the streets behind her. She saw a cat. "Oh, look, kitty!" whispered Alex. Adrian turned to look just as the cat crossed the street again – from the same place it had come from. "What just happened?" Alex gulped. Adrian swore. As they watched, the cat came back from around the corner and sat in the middle of the street, grooming itself. An identical cat followed. "Oh, thank heavens, I thought it was the Matrix," Alex inhaled. Adrian snickered.

The two girls stepped closer to the tall ornate wooden doors. As they did so, they heard a rhythmic thumping, almost like a pulse. "DAMMIT!" Adrian squeaked, and dove towards the wall on the left side of the door. Alex performed the same movement on the right side of the door. Almost immediately, the doors burst open and swung outward, covering the two girls. They heard the tromping of feet and the clanking of wood and metal. Alex cautiously peeked around the edge of the door, and saw the backs of a whole squadron of goblin soldiers marching out into the city. As the entire force disappeared into the side streets, the left door swung in and Adrian emerged. "In!" Adrian barked. Alex complied, and the girls jumped into the castle foyer, pulling the doors shut behind them.

They stood quietly for a moment. The dark sandstone walls towered upwards farther than Alex could see. Magnificent tapestries - blood red, cobalt blue, and every other imposing, imperial colour and design known to man - hung on the walls, and torches flickered in black brackets. Nothing stirred.

"Well," Adrian snickered suddenly. "We've reached the Castle, so in all technicality we've won."

Alex was taken aback. "You mean we have to do a final confrontation?" she gasped finally.

"_Get to_, we _get to_ have a final confrontation, darling; so it would seem," Adrian said snarkily, bouncing up the flight of stairs that rose ahead of them.

After a number of agonizing minutes spent opening random doors and running down hallways, the two girls finally entered the throne room. Like the wing of the Castle they had spent so much time searching, it was empty, except for a few chickens.

"What is it with all the effing chickens?" Adrian spat, pressing her ears flat against her skull. She only liked certain animals, and chickens were not on the list.

"I've always wondered that," Alex commented. A chicken clucked.

"SHUT UP!" Adrian roared, pouncing at the poultry. The bird flapped out of reach. "Screw you."

"So, where would you keep two small children if collecting them was your hobby?" Alex giggled.

Adrian chuckled. "I'd hang them over the mantelpiece," she replied promptly.

"You see? I can always count on you to come up with the correct line!" Alex laughed.

"But in all seriousness, let's try up there," Adrian continued, pointing at a narrow flight of stairs across the room. "Because I doubt that Jareth could hang two kids over a mantelpiece. No matter how much magic he stores under that ridiculous cape of his. And even if we run out of time, we can always bargain, right?"

* * *

><p>"Ladies and gentlemen, may we proudly present a physicist's worst nightmare!" exclaimed Adrian sarcastically as they passed through a narrow walkway into a room they had only ever seen in second dimension. The room went on farther then Alex could see, and was made entirely of a pale tan stone, covered in large, swirling carvings. The most remarkable feature of the room was the stairs. Steep, broad steps rose up, down, below, and overhead, all around the ledge where the two girls were standing. The whole arrangement was clearly a monument of power; magic flying reality the bird.<p>

Adrian bounced on her toes and stared, her gaze following the patterns. "Gotta love M.C. Escher," she chirped. Then, without a word of explanation, she walked up the wall. "GRAVITY HAS NO MEANING!" Adrian shrieked from her new position on the ceiling. "SCREW YOU PHYSICS, I'M DAVID BOWIE!"

Alex attempted to do the same, but only succeeded in slamming face first into the stone wall. Undaunted, Alex picked herself up off the ground and tried again. The end result remained the same. "What is happening?" she hissed, gingerly tapping on her nose to check for blood.

Above her, Adrian's upside-down face wore an expression of calm analysis. "Remember how Sarah couldn't walk up walls, and we attributed it to a potent mixture of stupidity and low self-esteem?" she ventured at last. Alex made a noise of affirmation. "Well, now I'm starting to think that the Wisher can't really… I don't know… tap into the magic of the room, I guess," Adrian attempted clumsily, pacing on the roof. "The Runner is in competition, Aboveground versus Underground, so the Aboveground notion of gravity replaces the Underground magic-gravity of the Escher Room." Adrian walked down the wall to stand next to Alex. "Just a theory."

"In that case, why can you do it, and I can't?" Alex protested.

"You did the wishing, and Jareth obviously sees you as the main protagonist of this little adventure, so by extension, the Labyrinth probably sees you as the Runner," Adrian flashed a grin at her sister. "Or maybe your confidence is just incredibly shitty."

"You said shitty!"

A whining, high-pitched voice echoed throughout the Escher Room. A dark head poked up from behind a set of stairs across from the two girls. A slightly smaller replica popped up beside the first mere seconds later. They had found their quarry.

"We were wrong!" Adrian exclaimed suddenly.

"What?"

Adrian stared at her twin in mock horror, her brown eyes wide. "They _aren't_ over the mantelpiece," she concluded, her lips twitching. Alex lost it.

Zach asked a one word question using a word that was neither appropriate nor expected for his age group, glaring at the two laughing teens.

Alex, calming down, peered across the room to where her cousins were perched, and started back in surprise. "What happened to your hair?" she blurted.

Zach frowned, turned to examine his brother, and reached up a hand to his own head. His pudgy fingers met the short, straight spikes, and his black eyes bulged. The five year old bellowed a curse word. Adrian dropped to the floor, put her head between her knees, and howled with laughter, pounding the floor with her fist as tears of mirth streamed down her face.

"How the hell are we going to explain this to their mother?" was Adrian's only coherent comment.

Alex shook her head and turned back to face the two boys. "Okay guys, let's get you home," she declared matter-of-factly.

"That's the best idea you've had all week," Zach agreed, much to Alex's surprise. "This place is worse than your house."

"Okay, ya little smart ass, do you want us to get you down from there or not?" Alex snapped.

Zach rolled his eyes. "Come up and get me if you must, bitch."

"WHY YOU LITTLE…!" Alex screamed and charged.

Zach gave the loud wordless scream of a hunted animal that senses its imminent death, and bolted. The chase was on.

Ben however, didn't move. Adrian carefully maneuvered the maze of stairs to where the three year old sat in mute shock. "Hey buddy," Adrian said gently, much differently from the tactic used at home hours earlier. "You okay?" She sat down a short distance away.

"Addy!" Ben whimpered, tears running down his plump cheeks as he scootched over to his cousin and crawled onto her lap. Adrian rose to her feet, holding onto the toddler tightly with her left arm as he wrapped tiny arms around her neck.

"Alex!" she called. Alex skidded to a stop and turned to face Adrian, who grinned and pumped her fist in the air. "I'M KING OF THE WORLD!" Adrian yelled. Alex laughed, and shot after Zach again.

* * *

><p>Jareth, observing the hunt from an archway in a far corner of the room, was utterly bemused. Alexandra was incredibly coordinated in her rage, sprinting up stairs, leaping across gaps, and bounding up onto ledges without any apparent concern about the dangerous height or her own ability to use the room's twisted gravitational pulls. Sam was racing for his life, desperately clambering up stairs and onto ledges. Jareth let out an ominous chuckle.<p>

The abrupt noise caused multiple reactions. Alex leapt in the air and narrowly missed falling to her death. Ben dove into the safety of his older cousin's neck, while Adrian rolled her eyes and rubbed Ben's back consolingly.

"Did I not instruct that Box Five was to be kept empty?" Adrian quoted in a deep British voice.

Jareth, utterly thrown-off, stopped laughing.

"THE PHAAAAAAAAAANTOM OF THE OPERA IS HEEEEEEEEEEEREEEEEEE…" Alex warbled before she started laughing hysterically.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Zach asked in disgust.

Alex turned to the five year old and glared. "When I get a hold of you, I'm going to kill you, brat!" she seethed, and took off yet again.

"HOLY SHIT!" Zach screamed and scrambled away.

Jareth frowned. This was getting wildly out of hand. He disappeared with a swirl of his glitter…

…And immediately reappeared in front of Alex. The girl shrieked and fell backward, but recovered quickly, leaping to her feet and hurtling back the way she had come.

"Tick tock, dear Alexandra," Jareth smirked, pointing at the clock that appeared out of thin air.

"Tik tok, on the clock but the party don't stop no…" Zach's singing voice echoed distantly.

"Zach, I swear I won't actually kill you, stay where you are!" Alex screamed. The hands of the clock were dangerously close to thirteen; it looked like they had ten minutes remaining, tops. Alex rounded a corner, and there was Zach. Sitting on the edge of an arch, five metres below her.

"Oh ha, ha, ha, very funny, Jareth," Alex snarled. "You expect me to jump off a cliff for this kid?"

"Who ever said you would have to?" Jareth purred. "Give up, Alexandra. Let them become goblins. The two demons deserve it." He smiled at her from a ledge across from her.

As if to prove his point, Zach looked up at the Goblin King and exclaimed, "Demons? Go **** yourself, you son of a bitch." The boy swivelled his head around and glared up at Alex. "My mom's gonna kill you later, coward."

Alex's eyes shot sparks. "You little cuss!" she shrilled, and without a second thought, jumped.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has read up to this point. Please review or PM with any questions, comments, or critiques. Thanks! Tierney<strong>


	11. Hour Thirteen

**Author's Note: Down to the last couple of chapters! I still do not own Labyrinth, only my OCs. **

Hour 13

Alex fell down through utter darkness, completely alone. There was no sight of or sound from Jareth, Zach, Ben, or Adrian. She unexpectedly hit solid ground, crumpling into a clumsy heap as she landed. Thankfully, she had not been falling fast enough to crash too hard. Moaning, she pushed herself up to a sitting position, shaking her head to try to stave off the dizziness. She was sitting in the middle of a large circle of light. The light rose upward in a cone shape, almost like she was in a spotlight. Everything surrounding the bright circle was black as night. There was an abrupt whoosh, thump, and muttered curse. "Hello?" quavered Alex.

"Hullo!" came the cheerful reply in Adrian's voice. "My, my, how grand you look, sitting in your spotlight over there!"

"Where are you?" Alex asked shakily, peering into the gloom. "I can't see you."

"Right here." Adrian's voice was much closer this time. Alex stood and walked towards where her sister's words were coming from, but was met with an invisible barrier on the edge. It wasn't like glass, or plastic; if she ventured to describe it now, in retrospect, she might have called it compressed air. All that mattered at that moment was that it was present, and neither she, nor Adrian, could get through it. Alex couldn't even see her sister.

"Jareth thought of everything, didn't he?" chuckled invisible Adrian. "He even got a cone of silence. But at least you didn't destroy the Escher Room. Again."

"Where are Zach and Ben? What's going on?" Alex demanded.

"Neither is here, as far as I can tell," Adrian replied in amusement. "When you jumped, they and Jareth disappeared as well. So I just had to sit in the Escher Room, looking like an idiot until the lights all went out and I suddenly fell too. But judging by the barrier, you will be the one having the final confrontation with our sparkly buddy."

"What? NO!" Alex gasped.

Adrian laughed, the noise echoing creepily in the dark, and sounding more than a little sad. "Make it count, my friend. This is, after all, your adventure."

"Adrian?" Her sister's voice suddenly silenced. "Adrian!" she cried when she received no answer.

"She is perfectly safe, you know."

Jareth's voice flowed through the silence as smoothly as silk. Alex tuned slowly to face her adversary. He stood proudly at the other side of the spotlight, the light making his blonde hair glow golden. His icy eyes sparkled and his leather boots gleamed. Billowing out from his shoulders, a white feather cape revealed a low cut white tunic and white breeches. The keynote outfit of making impressions.

Alex straightened and raised her chin defiantly. "Where is she then? And where are my cousins?" she queried strongly, much more strongly than she felt.

"Their location has no impact on our negotiations, so do not worry your pretty head over it," Jareth stated smugly. He quirked his head to one side and gazed at her thoughtfully.

"We won, Jareth," Alex spat. "We should have won the moment we went through the Castle doors."

Jareth sighed. "Dear Alexandra, I am already painfully aware of your… victory." He pulled two crystals out of the snowy tunic and began to contact juggle them simultaneously, one rolling over each hand. "If you must know, your sister is home, Aboveground," he remarked casually.

Alex gaped at him. "Then why _the frick_ am I still here?" she spluttered. "And what about the boys?"

"You still have a decision to make, my dear," Jareth countered smoothly. "Your cousins will remain here until a decision has been reached."

Alex scowled. "The only choice that I am currently aware of is whether I should recite the final monologue, whatever good that would do, or just go for broke and knee you in the balls," she snarled.

Jareth smiled and continued to roll the crystals over his fingers. "I am offering you your dreams, Alexandra," he explained.

Raising her eyebrows, Alex sneered, "What makes you think you know anything about my dreams?" She paused for a moment, and amended, "Hell, who am I kidding; you're the Goblin King, for all I know you're reading my mind as we speak…"

"I am offering you an escape from your life!" the Goblin King insisted, slightly frantic. "That is what you wanted, is it not? A life of adventure, full of fantasy and free of the anxiety and mundane reality?" The crystals stood still, and Jareth held them out to her. "I could make you Fey, Alexandra," he wheedled. "You could be my Goblin Queen, and you could have everything you want; power, adoration, love, everything. Just…"

"'Fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave'?" Alex cut in with a great effort. Jareth's voice was melting her, weaving her into a web of her own dreams from which there would be no escape if she didn't fight. Gritting her teeth, she went on. "I am not Sarah, Jareth. I am a sixteen year old girl who is never, and I do mean never, going to live up to your expectations." She took a deep breath and continued. "If I thought you actually loved me, sure I'd marry you, but to know that I'm just a consolation prize? I'm not going to do that to myself. I suggest you find Sarah, Jareth. Because I am not a replacement; I am a girl who has, through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, fought my way here to the Castle Beyond the Goblin City, to take back the children that you have stolen-slash-babysat. For my will is as strong as yours, my kingdom as great. You have no power over…"

Her soliloquy was interrupted by a loud chime. A clock appeared in the air, and both cruel black hands had landed on the ornate thirteen. "Shit," she spat. She had lost.

Jareth began to laugh. "You are free to go, dearest Alexandra," he smirked, his eyes triumphant. "It would seem I have two new subjects to add to my collection." Right on cue, the two boys appeared at Jareth's feet. "Screw off!" screeched Zach. "Addy! Addy!" shrieked Ben. Both children continued to howl at an escalating pitch.

"Are you sure you want to deal with these two?" Alex asked, giggling at the look of horror that suddenly washed over Jareth's face.

Said monarch scowled at her. "And why would I not?" he hissed.

"Well, it's only forever," she sang laughingly. "It's not long at all…"

Zach let out a scream at a frequency that could break glass.

"Oh for the love of…" Jareth spat and smashed a crystal onto the ground. The bright beam of the spotlight vanished, and Alex once again found herself falling through the dark.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this far into my first ever fanfiction. Please review or PM with any questions, comments, or critiques. Thanks! Tierney<strong>


	12. Hour Fourteen

**Author's Note: There will be two chapters left after this. I still do not own Labyrinth, only my OCs. **

Hour 14

Alex's brown eyes flew open. She was staring at the smooth wood of a bedroom door. She gasped and turned the knob. It was locked. With the small brass key she held, Alex unlocked the door with trembling hands. The door creaked open, and Alex stared.

In two small beds rested two small lumps. Dark shorn heads were buried in pillows. Carefully creeping across the carpet, Alex sat down on the edge of the bed closest to the door. She gingerly folded back the top of the blanket, uncovering Ben's plump, slumbering, and perfectly human face. The toddler's big dark eyes fluttered open, and he blinked at Alex sleepily for a moment. Then, with a struggle, he wiggled his small arms out from under the duvet and held them up towards his cousin. Alex, pleasantly surprised with this reception, leaned down, allowing Ben to wrap his arms around her neck. After a minute, he let go. Smiling, Alex placed a gentle kiss on his forehead and tucked the blankets back around him. "Sweet dreams," she murmured as Ben's eyes closed.

Alex tentatively trod to the other side of the room, where the second bed was. She bent over and drew the quilt down slightly. Zach's eyes shot open, landing on Alex with an expression of sleepy amusement. Alex felt a tiny flicker of hope, and, dare I say, benevolence rise inside her…

Which was immediately extinguished as Zach whispered, "Screw off, dumbass."

Alex straightened up and glared down at him. "Well, that's the last time I risk my life to save your ass, you ungrateful little goblin spawn," she snarled as, with an exact utilization of pressure points, she safely rendered the five year old unconscious. With an irritated glare for the eldest and a laughing grin for the younger, Alex slowly backed out of the room and locked the door.

She walked down the hall to Adrian's room and squeezed through the partially open door. Her sister was wearing pyjama pants and Nina's shirt, and the sling was nowhere to be seen. Adrian was sitting in her swivel chair, her head on the desk and her hands resting on the keyboard of her laptop. Alex peered over Adrian's hunched shoulders at the glowing screen. A word document was open, with large blocks of black characters clearly visible, which, according to the bar at the bottom of the screen, accounted to fifty pages. Alex's eyes were drawn to the top of the first page, where ornate cursive letters titled the piece:

_Outwitting Labyrinth_

Alex chucked quietly, pulled a blanket from off the bed over Adrian's shoulders, and silently withdrew.

A few minutes later, as Alex sat curled up in an armchair downstairs, the garage door, opened with much creaking, and there was the soft purr of the van engine. The door unlocked with a sharp click, and Mom sauntered in, looking quite relaxed. When she saw Alex, she stopped.

"What are you still doing, Alex?" Mom looked concerned.

Alex shrugged. "Relaxing," she replied. "Zach was hard to deal with this evening."

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Mom gasped.

"It's okay, Adrian and I made a game out of it," Alex smiled. "Ben wasn't an issue at all, surprisingly."

Mom tilted her head to one side, listening. "Are they both in bed?"

Alex nodded and Mom laughed. "I can't believe it! I thought that it would have taken you forever to get them to sleep!"

_Nope, just thirteen hours_, Alex thought, but said aloud, "Not long at all."

"Well, thank you," Mom sighed. "That was very helpful of you to take care of them for me. Now go to bed!" she ordered kindly, ushering Alex up the stairs.

"I think that Adrian should go to physio soon," Alex mentioned hesitatingly as she trotted up the steps with her mother.

"Why is that?"

Alex froze. "Um, we were… trying to get Zach and Ben into bed, and Adrian felt like she wrenched her shoulder," she lied after a moment's pause. "I just thought that it would be good to make sure it hasn't been damaged."

"I'll make an appointment tomorrow," Mom grinned and gave her daughter a hug. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

"'Night, Mom."

Alex, taking stock of her state of dress for the first time, realized that she was wearing her pyjamas; her clothes must have changed when she got back… She brushed her teeth quickly, washed her face, and walked slowly back into her bedroom. When she turned on the bedside lamp, a glint of light flashed from by the headboard. She frowned and sat down, staring in confusion at the round, clear crystal that rested innocently in the hollow of her pillow. "Okay, Jareth, very funny," she snapped to the empty room. As expected, there was no reply. Alex eyed the orb warily. _It's a crystal_, reason pointed out. _Nothing more_. She cupped it in her hands, her thumb stroking the smooth, cool surface. Absentmindedly, she spun the crystal around in her palm. When she gently rocked her hand, the crystal rolled smoothly up to her fingertips and back down. Furrowing her brow as she concentrated, Alex began to rhythmically curve her hand, attempting to replicate Jareth's skilled movements. To her surprise, the crystal flowed over her hand, and didn't fall. "I can contact juggle!" she quietly shrilled.

_But if you turn it this way, and look into it…_ Alex lifted the clear sphere up to eye level and gazed into its depths, not quite sure what she expected. The crystal shimmered, and inside Alex could see a blurry swirl of colour. Gradually, the image became more defined, and Alex found herself peering at a masquerade, a strange, surreal mixture of Jareth's white ballroom and the ornate hall of the Opera Populaire. She saw Jareth dancing with Sarah, Eric with Christine, and an apparition of Alex herself with an impeccably dressed young man who looked remarkably like Neil Blake. Alex blushed. "Damn you, Jareth," she whispered. She got into bed, and, holding the crystal close to her cheek, drifted off to sleep.

She dreamed of a masquerade.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and review, I greatly appreciate it. Only two chapters left to go in this fic. Please feel free to review or PM with any questions or comments. Thanks! Tierney <strong>


	13. Epilogue

**Author's Note: One chapter to go after this. I still don't own Labyrinth, only my OCs.  
><strong>

Epilogue

The thirteen hour adventure in the Underground impacted everyone directly involved. Zach, if it was even humanly possible, became even more of a punk that before. Much to Aunt Michelle's delight, his hair quickly grew back out past his shoulders, and he began wearing leather, as well as sunglasses, even at night. Alex was positive he would have piercings within a year, and she and Adrian actually had fairly steep bets on the outcome. Then again, there were other impacts, such a strange artistic talent, not in the usual young boy style of planes and trains and explosions, but in the drawing of monsters, mazes, and chickens.

Ben's personality did a one hundred and eighty degree turn. He stopped swearing out of the blue, much to his father's confusion. His greatest ambition became to run away to "Addy's house", which he attempted on numerous occasions; once he even made it to their driveway, though no one could even guess at how. Whenever the Jacksons came for a visit, Ben would immediately spring for Adrian, and the inseparable duo would spend hours drinking tea, eating cookies they made together, and reading the Chronicles of Narnia and the Hobbit, and, if Ben pleaded hard enough, Labyrinth. While they read, Adrian would quietly cut his hair. Ben would enter the Aarons' house wearing jeans, a leather jacket, and a Metallica t-shirt; he would leave wearing slacks and a sweater vest.

Adrian's shoulder healed. The physiotherapists called the repaired joint a miracle, and Adrian had qualified for swimming Nationals by May. She had also written and illustrated a short book that was met with resounding success. Reviewers praised it for its "magical whimsy", and readers occasionally found small parallels between her story and that of Labyrinth. Thankfully no one sued. Her third occupation was Ben's gentleman lessons.

Alex found track practice easier in comparison to a thirteen hour trek, and her meet performances drastically improved. She came fifth in the division for 800 and 1500m dash, qualifying for Cities. She came in seventh for the 800, and won the 1500. She won the 1500m at Provincials. Additionally, Alex became popular among the other nerds at her school for her sudden expertise in the area of contact juggling. Aforementioned crystal also seemed to be able to tell the future, because she and Neil Blake renewed their childhood friendship about two weeks after the Run, and he asked her out another two weeks after that.

That March during Spring Break, the Aarons parents decided to take a trip to London. Alex and Adrian were in awe, in part because they adored anything British, and in part because they were able to see the _David Bowie Is_ fashion exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The two girls were walking down a narrow London boulevard, not far from their hotel. When they passed a lush green, forested park, they agreed to go in, for old time's sake. As the girls strolled aimlessly down the curving paths, Alex suddenly broke the silence. "Look," she giggled, tilting her head to their left. "Cosplayers."

Two people sat on a bench a short distance away, their unsuspecting backs turned away from their audience. A dark haired girl was attired in an embroidered vest, jeans, and a white shirt with billowing sleeves. Her blonde companion wore a black and blue cape over what appeared to be armor, black pants, and black leather boots. The girl's head was bowed, and her fellow cosplayer appeared to be speaking earnestly.

"Ermagersh," Adrian whispered. "Alex, those ain't cosplayers." As the second individual turned to face the other, Alex saw what Adrian had already recognized: the face of the Goblin King. His lips were moving rapidly, and his gloved hands tightly gripped the girl's shoulders. He abruptly stilled, and stared over his companion's shoulder at the two ex-Runners. Alex grinned and gave him the thumbs-up. Jareth inclined his head in a graceful, birdlike motion, his mismatched eyes twinkling. He bared his sharp teeth in a fierce grin when Adrian surreptitiously flew him the bird. He then resumed speaking to Sarah Williams, and Adrian and Alex continued on their way. When Alex turned back to stare at the couple, she observed the Goblin King rise and offer an outstretched hand to Sarah with a bow. The young woman flew to her feet and lunged, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him full on the mouth. Jareth picked her up by the waist and spun her around, and the girl and the Goblin King disappeared in a burst of glitter.

"And they all lived happily ever after," Alex smiled dreamily.

"So it would seem," Adrian smirked. "The bastard's cheating on you!" Alex lightly punched her sister's arm. "Besides," Adrian continued. "Our story isn't over yet."

Alex's face lit up. "Let's go see if we can convince Mom and Dad to take us to the Eagle and Child!"

"INKLINGS!" Adrian shrieked.

The girls took off running, off to their next adventure in the Labyrinth of life.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: This is a really short chapter, and pretty unpolished, but at this point I am just going to get this story done so I can focus on my other one. Thank you to everyone who has read up to this point, and by all means review or PM with questions and critiques. Thanks! Tierney <strong>


	14. Epiclogue

**Author's Note: Though I would have deeply appreciated the irony of having thirteen chapters, this little plot bunny wouldn't leave me be. So, as usual, I only own my OCs.**

Epiclogue

It was a peaceful night in the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. Jareth lay on his side, propped up on his elbow as he stared at his wife's sleeping form. He had never been so happy in all of his life, though he still refused to admit that Alexandra had been right. He and Sarah had been married for over a year now, and they were expecting their first child. If it was a boy, they were going to christen him Tobias; and as for a girl, Sarah had been the one to suggest the name Alexandra. Jareth was unable to stop a smile from lighting up his face as he considered their baby. Said smile was unfortunately wiped completely away a second later, when a tingling in the back of his mind alerted him to a Wish. He groaned and sat up, running his long fingers through his blonde mane as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. His amulet was cold against his bare chest.

Sarah stirred. "Wha's goin' on, Jareth?" she murmured sleepily in the sleek American accent he loved so much.

"Just a Wish, dearest; I will be back soon," he replied, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Sarah's dark eyebrows furrowed. "Can't you just let it go?" she moaned. She buried her face into her pillow and Jareth stroked her hair.

"Go to sleep, precious," he purred. He got up, pulled on his trademark white shirt and black breeches, slipped on his gloves, and slid his feet into his boots. As he silently crept out of the room, he yanked a black vest over his shoulders. One cloud of glitter later, the Goblin King appeared in his throne room.

The chamber was packed with goblins. Not a brick of the floor was visible, and more had clambered up on ledges and the chandeliers, and on the windowsills. And most surprising, all were dead silent. "Who was in charge of the Wish collection?" he snapped, swinging his riding crop back and forth over the tip of his boot. As one, the whole company raised their grubby hands. "That many? Well, then," Jareth drawled. "Where is the child?"

There was a pause, and the goblins shuffled nervously. "Well?" Jareth demanded. "It is late, and I would like to sleep at some point tonight, therefore, _**where is the child**_?"

Finally, six goblins, with a mighty heave, hauled a child up into the air by the neck of its shirt. The little minions held their breaths as the kid and the Goblin King stared at each other blankly.

"What the duck?" spat Zach Jackson.

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" Jareth snarled, bounding to his feet. He had not had the misfortune to lay eyes on the Jackson boys since the Run a year before. But where was the other? "Where did the Wish come from?"

"From te other girly who ate te peach 'n forgot everything," one goblin stammered, while a second rattled off an address. Jareth swore violently. If this was the boyish one's idea of a good laugh… who did she think she was?

Growling, Jareth transformed and flew to the Aboveground. He burst through the French windows of the familiar house, feathers swirling as he reverted back to his fey form. "Alexandra, I swear on the Underground, if Adrian thinks this is some kind of joke…" he began, but trailed off as he took in the figure perched on the end of the bed.

The girl was sitting completely still, her head tilted to one side as she smiled slightly. Her clear olive skin was darkly tanned, and she had wavy chocolate hair and large, doe brown eyes. She was very thin, and just a foot shorter than Alexandra and Adrian. She had the build of an acrobat, and Jareth could tell that she was stronger than she looked.

"You are not Alexandra…" Jareth said slowly. The girl cocked her head to the other side and grinned, flashing blinding white teeth. "You are… Alexandra's sister?" he asked hesitatingly.

"Yes, and I see that you are Lucius Malfoy's long lost brother!" the girl chirped cheerfully. She bounced off the bed and stood up proudly, sticking out her hand. "Hi, I'm Anthony." She had to crane her neck to look up at Jareth, and she looked into his face critically as she shook his hand. "Yeah, you're not as attractive as I would have imagined, considering how loud my sisters squeal whenever they see a picture of you," she stated. Jareth decided to ignore this piece of trivia.

"Did you wish away the young demon?" Jareth demanded.

"Oh, yeah, that," Anthony exclaimed nonchalantly. "I wasn't really expecting you to show up, because I thought you'd be sleeping or something, but I assumed it was worth a shot." She looked up at Jareth expectantly.

"If you wish to win him back, you will have to run the Labyrinth," the Goblin King told her ominously. Anthony just laughed.

"Aw, hell no," she drawled. "I don't want him back! Why do you think I wished him away in the first place?" She clapped her graceful hands in excitement.

"Why did you not wish away the other… the brother?" Jareth questioned.

"Ben, under Adrian's kind and loving tutelage, is becoming quite the gentleman," Anthony explained. "Adrian sneaks him into the guest room once Zach's asleep. I don't know what you got him smoking down there, but he's a reformed character. However," a look of amusement crossed her face. "Zach was still just as much of a prick."

Jareth choked. He was trying as hard as he could to hold back his laughter. This girl was hysterical. He bit his lip to quench another chuckle as he considered reciting the conversation for Sarah's entertainment.

Anthony whirled around and marched toward the door. "Thanks for taking the kid; I'm going to go and grab you a fifty – just a little something for your trouble. Do you need anything before you go? Coffee, tea, red wine?" Her eyes lit up. "I think we have prosecco, too!" The young girl stopped and listened as a grumbling, creaking noise filled the room. "Alex is home! Kay, I'm gonna go get you prosecco and fifty bucks. I'll be back!" She whisked out of the room, and Jareth remained, staring at the empty doorway as if it held the solution to the conundrum.

* * *

><p>The first thing Alex saw upon entering the house was Anthony trotting triumphantly down the stairs. More shocking than that, however, was the silence. The only sound was the clink of her car keys as she tossed them into a dish on the wooden table by the door. "Hey Anthony," she greeted. "Where's Zach? Did you get him in bed already?"<p>

Her thirteen year old sister smiled smugly. "Gone," she answered proudly.

"Neil's going to come over later, so I hope the kids are asleep by then… Sorry, what?" Alex looked at Anthony, perplexed.

"He's gone," Anthony repeated contentedly.

Alex frowned. "What?" she snapped.

Anthony grinned widely. "Zach's gone. I wished him away," she explained casually.

"Okay, this isn't funny, Anthony," Alex hissed. "You hated that book. And the movie adaptation. And you tell us to shut up whenever we mention it."

"No, seriously, I wished him away. There were goblins, and lightning, and thunder, all that crazy shit," she smiled at Alex, who glowered back. "I'm grabbing fifty bucks and a glass of Prosecco for my saviour. The Goblin King's upstairs, so you might want to go say hi," she added suddenly, and shot into the kitchen.

Alex stood stock still, gazing at the vacated section of floor. Finally, it clicked. The Goblin King was upstairs. "Oh, cuss," she breathed. She lunged up the stairs and leapt into the guest room.

Jareth was still staring at the door as Alexandra burst through it. When she saw him, she immediately stopped. The Runner and the Adversary stared at each other blankly. Jareth's lips curled up into a feral grin, and his eyes glowed.

Alex took a deep breath. _Don't ogle the married man, don't ogle the married man_, she reminded herself fiercely. "Are you kidding me?" she groaned aloud.

Jareth beamed. "I must say, dear Alexandra, it is a pleasure to see you again," he asserted, giving a sweeping bow. His black cloak swished out behind him. Alex blushed.

"Okay, Jareth, one way or another I will be getting my cousin back, so let's not delay on formalities, shall we?"

Jareth pulled a crystal out of thin air and began rolling it over his fingers. Alex slid her own out of her jacket pocket and mirrored the trick. Anyone would have believed it impossible for Jareth's smile to get any bigger, but get bigger it did. "Are you sure you want to play my game again, dear Alexandra? Because if you do, it will not be the same." A new challenge for second time Runners was something Alex had expected, but had never expected to be engaging in herself.

She heard a click of a door unlocking somewhere downstairs and Anthony's melodious voice echoed through the rooms below. A deeper voice replied, and Anthony responded. There was a moment of stillness, and then the thundering of feet running up the stairs. A moment later, Neil Blake bolted into the room. He looked at his girlfriend, at the fey monarch, and back to Alex again. But, as usual, nothing fazed him. "Hello, I don't believe we've met," Neil addressed Jareth. "I'm Neil Blake, Alex's boyfriend." Jareth's blue eyes darted from Alex to the young man as he and Neil shook hands. Adrian strolled into the room a second later, with Ben in her arms.

"And it's officially a party," Alex pointed out sarcastically.

Ben nodded at Jareth in greeting, a small grin crossing his face. Jareth nodded in return. When he turned his attention to Adrian, the boyish one discreetly flipped him off. "Delightful to see you too, Adrian," he laughed as Adrian rolled her eyes and handed the infamous backpack to her sister.

"Someone's got to look after Ben and Anthony now; you go get the wee bastard," Adrian grinned at Alex, who hugged her, squishing Ben in between them.

"I' m coming too," Neil decided abruptly. "Might as well," he responded to Alex's look of bewilderment. "Someone needs to watch your back, and we had a date tonight, anyway."

Jareth only rolled his eyes. When it came to the Aarons, the Goblin King knew better than to argue against paired runs.

"Okay, seeing as you are in good, sparkly hands, I will see you two in thirteen hours!" Adrian chirped, carrying Ben out of the room.

Alex turned back to Jareth, who was, as usual, smirking. "There will be no funny business," she warned. "Especially as you and I are similarly engaged," she concluded as Neil slipped an arm around her waist.

"Agreed." The bedroom vanished, and Alex found they were standing on the barren hill where all their adventures had begun. She was unable to stop a smile from spreading across her face, and Neil took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

Jareth waved his hand with a flourish, and the clock appeared in the white tree. "I must warn you, take nothing for granted here, as this run will not be the same as your last," he began smoothly. "You understand the rules. Alexandra, you are once again the principal Runner, and you have thirteen hours in which to solve my Labyrinth before…"

"Your moron cousin becomes one of your subjects… forever," Alex nodded dramatically.

"Amen," laughed Neil. "Such a pity." Alex turned to her boyfriend in wonder. Neil shrugged. "I know you quite enjoy the movie, so I watched it last week."

Alex giggled. "I love you," she stated simply, squeezing his hand. Jareth watched the interaction in silence.

Neil took the pack and buckled it over his own shoulders. "I guess there's only one thing to do," he chuckled as he pulled Alex forward into a run. The clock began to tick behind them.

"What?" Alex beamed up at him as they picked up their speed, leaving the Goblin King unabashedly howling with laughter behind them.

Neil looked down at her lovingly and pumped a fist in the air. "LEEEEROYYY JENKINS!" he yelled. The couple sprinted towards a new adventure.

THE END

**Author's Note: And there you have it. My first ever fanfic completed. My first foray into the Labyrinth fandom, but hopefully not my last. Review or PM one last time if you have any questions or comments, and by all means let me know if you have any spare plot bunnies that you think I should adopt. Thank you all for reading and reviewing, you are all fantastic. Thanks! Tierney **


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